Bryan morning eagle. [volume] (Bryan, Tex.) 1898-1909, 1902-08-23
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Federal force evacuated on his up
proach. This force rctreated 10 Har'
pcrs Ferry. crowdlng the place and
Gripping rather than helping the de-
/ Tense.
While Jackson planted his guns Ia
cover the pentup citadel on the Vlr.
glnla side Of the Potomac, Ice sent an
other column 10 Invest the fortress
from the Maryland side and thus the
garrison was caught between two
fires. The Federal commandant OF
Harpcrs Ferry. Colonel Dixon s.
Miles made the mistake OF withdraw.
ing that part OF the garrison which
| held the heights ON the Maryland
bluffs from their trenches, and this LEFT
| his garrison ln valley with enemies
on the heights all around the fortress.
with tbs troops out OF Martlnsburg
added 20 the original garrison, there
were over 1900 Federal soldiers coop.
ed up on narrow. low lying penlnsu.
I Ia formed by the Junction OF the To
I tomac and Shenandoah rivers. Jack
son aimed at a clean capture Of the
| Federal post and therefore waited until
| Il was completely surrounded before
I bringing ou % crisis. When hc learned
I by Signal across the river that a sup
porting force led boy General Mcl.aws
was lu possession OF the Maryland
I heights. he slgnalod 10 his division
| leaders the following dispatch: "llar'
I pcrs Ferry Is now completely invested.
/ / shall summon its commander 90 sur.
render. Should he refuse I viii give
/ him twcnty-four hours 90 remove non.
comhatauts and then carry the place
by assault DO not fire unless forced
TO-"
Even with the army signals and
field telegraph In use forty years ago
the commanders fought more or less IN
a fog. Jackson and his generals while
investing Hnrpers Ferry knew moth
ing Of what Lee was doing meanwhile.
They knew that hc had sent McLaws
up on the Maryland side OF the roto.
mae TO help capture the Federal post
but nothing further OF him nor OF any
enemy ON the Maryland shore. About
noon ON sunday the nth of Sep
TENDER the Confederate general in
command ON the line farihcst down
the river. General j, q. walker. heard
firing away on on his right iu the d.
rcction Of South mountain. a difficult
barrier north OF Frederick where lee
was supposed 90 Doe resting his army.
Walker reported this 90 Jackson and
asked permission to open bis guns upon
IIarpcrs Ferry jackson replied Chat;
the firing was doubtless cavalry sk.r
mish. and refused 90 allow tho guns O.
open Walker then determined to Dee
forced 10 Gre according Co the letter
OF Jackson's orders. lie placed two
North Carolina regiments In FUN view
OF the Federal artillery on the VIZ
ginIa heights and quickly drew their
IRE. This was answered by his own
batteries
Walkers initiative was followed by
other generals. and all that sunday
afternoon, while McClellau's troops
were stormiug the passes OF South
mountain 90 cut their way through
aud relieve Harpers Ferry. the duel Of
the cannon sent laundering echoes up
and down the valley and across the
Maryland hills
Night stopped the rain 81 iron on the
1ith. Inside the Federal lines every
thing looked hopeless Two cavalry
colonies asked permission 10 ride out
OF the trap with their troopers aud
were allowed 10 sally forth after dark.
These were the only members Of the
garrison 20 escape. The plan " escape
for the cavalry had been preached the
evening OF the 18Th before a shot had
been fired. by Colonel H. +. Davis of
the Eighth Kew York. Tho Twelfth
Illinois, under Colonel Arno Noss.
Joined fortune with the New York
troopers. and after dark on the nth
the little column crossed into Mary.
land and made lts way through the
corps Of General Lougstreof, which
was then moving toward the Potomac
from the interior Of Maryland.
The sound Of battle on To- the dircc.
ton Of South Mountain up 90 dark OF
the 18th warned Jackson that no time
was left Tor parlcy The enemy was
coming nearer and nearer 10 the be-
leagucrcd fortress At daylight ON the
18th he opened with Gfty guns. The
flfc swept the Federal lines front and
rear. 4 heavy f0g obscurcd the view
OF Walkers artiIlcrists ON Loudon
heights. but they pounded away at the
range fixed the day before The Fed
eral gunuors fred with spirit on the
start, but after q time their shots be-
came feeble and az s o'clock q. m.
ceased altogether. At that hour Colo
mel Dixon :. Miles, after consulting his
officers, waved the white flag
Many Of the Confederate gunncrs on
the distant heights could not see the
signal Of surrender aud continued 90
hurl their missiles into the beleagucrcd
camps. Even while waving the dag
Colonel Miles was struck with the
fragment Of shell and died next day
from the wound. u Is said by General
Julius White Of the garrison that Miles
intended the white dag as sign FOR q
truce pending negotiations. lie hourly
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