The National tribune., 1902-12-18
HARPER'S FERRY.

HARPER'S FERRY.
A Story OF the Surrender, by Ont
OF the Garrison.
BY FREDERICK W. FoUT, FIRST LIEUTEN
| ANT. 18TH IND. BATTERY.
! In an article by o. d. johnson during
Jnly. 1902, in your paper, he claims thai
the shot that killed Col. Miles ut Harper.
Ferry, was fired from the northwest direc
tion, west of Bolivar Hights. from bat
| terry stationed on the Martinsburg. Will
| transport or Shepherdstown Road. In this
the comrade is mistaken. The position re
ferred to is lower and much below tile
level of Bolivar flights, and more than one
and q half miles distance from where Miles
was wounded. According to the Confed
crate report the enemy had no battery
there, but were all placed in position by
their able Chief of Artillery on Maryland
flights, LOudoun flights, Loudoun Flats
Bulls Mountain, and on the Winchester
Pike, all positions from which they had 4
plunging and destructive fire OIL Camp Hill
and on our thin lines on Bolivar flights
| In the Antietam campaign Lees army
contained AZ brigades. Twenty-six OF
these. under command of Stonewall Jack
son. had been detached to capture Miles
| at Harper's Ferry, with three brigades,
viz: Whites, D'Utassy's and TrimbIes.
Sixteen brigades of Lees army, under his
personal command-I4ongstreet's and d. II.
Hills commands-remained ON the Mary
land side of the Potomac. and did battle
against MeClellan's army Of about 5000
men. Yet, with all of these facts on
record, writer's and comrades refer to
Miles surrender of three brigades to Jack
sons oyerpowering 20 brigades as dis
graceful; but the truth is that the hand
ling of the 100000 men of the Potomac
Army on the Maryland side of the river
was the real disgrace in the affair. When
on the morning, of Sept. II, Miles saw that
no relief could be expected from McClel-
lan's army, and the artillery fire had
ceased Oh our side for want of ammuni-
ton, and OH the Confederate side prepara-
tory to a charge, Miles called his brigade
commanders for consultation near the
cemetery on the Winchester Pike in Boil
var, and all agreed as to the uSelessneSs
of a further effort. (And all three of the
brigade commanders proved themselves
worthy, brave men ever thereafter.)
Gen. White was sent out on the Win
chester Pike to arrange the surrender. Col
Miles walked directly at right angles up
to section of artillery then in my charge.
and with which / had, after silence of
all the firing, reopened the fire on the
enemy. Miles had already pulled and
waved his white handkerchief, in our rear,
as he approached, but had not notified us:
therefore piece was fired after he had
shown the white signal to the enemy, who
promptly noticed this and now Justify
cheered. Corpl Wm. II. johnson, known
in our battery as "Rocky" johnson, or
dered the last gun fired, and John GiIn-
Der, now of Indianapolis, pulled the Ian
yard for the last shot at the now jubilant
enemy. This started the whole outfit of
Confederate artillery again to open fire on
us. Miles now reached the guns that were
being reloaded. and in these words said:
Orderly Il was then OrderlySergeant),
cease firing. 1t is of no use; we have to
surrender" With this he waved his
white handkerchief again, causing new
yells on the enemy's side. Corpl VIM. II.
johnson, who stood by my side, then re-
marked, "Colonel, we surely did not come
here to surrender TO these rebels. Let us
fight them" TO this Miles remarked, sit
is no use" pointing over to Maryland, 1--WE
cannot now be relieved by our people over
there" Miles with his Aid, Lieut.. Binney,
walked to our left, and about so yards
from us q piece of shell fired from gun
on Loudoun Flat, then not over 800 yards
distant. struck him in the leg and mortally
wounded him. He died two days later.
In his report he recommended my promo
ton for services in the battery. 1t has been
claimed that Ccmrade c. d. johnson made
the remark to Miles about not surrender
ing. This is q mistake. Corp1 VIM. II.
johnson, known as Rocky" Johnson, is
entitled to that credit.
The enemy's artillery fire continued at
60, v,ttA -
federate color-bearer on fierce charger,
with the red battle flag Of our Southern
friends, the enemy, rode at fearful pace
on the Winchester Pike toward us on Boil
var flights, and swinging the flag called
on our men to hoist the white flag. To
this Corp1 WIN. III. johnson again re-
marked to him, you are off your beat:
but if you want white flag raised, you
will have to attend to that Yourself"
The enemy's artillery, which now had
taken notice of the Confederate cross Gil
our guDs, ceased firing, and soon after ap
peared cook left i'll camp by the 111th
N. Y. with a zee of white linen, and
tied this to a lone tree near us as an en-
blem of the surrender.
The four guns under Capt. Won Schlen,
on the extreme northern end of Bolivar
Hights, had been spending their ammuni-
tion by firing on Sugar Loaf Mountain,
just north, and in the angle of the Potomac,
TO no purpose. Sugar Loaf Mountain
would have been n good place for Con-
federate battery to have swept Bolivar
Hights from the north, just the same as
the enemy's guns on Bulls Mountain |
swept the nights from the south; but the |
enemy had no guns on Sugar Loaf Noun
tain, and it was by this route that Col. |
Davis escaped with his cavalry, which was |
one of the finest aud coolest movements |
made during the civil war. Tie 10Th Ind. |
Battery was soon together in a park on |
the Winchester Pike, with the exceptions |
Of two caissons, which had tumbled down |
an cmhankmeEt near the Potomac River /
after the surrender, and became consid- |
erable controversy between Jackson an. /
A. p. Hill on the Confederate side and I
Gen. White and Capt. Won Sehlen on the |
Federal side. The result was that as soon
IS the Confederates entered our lines with
infantry strong guard was placed around |
Us, which was not done over the other |