The Montgomery advertiser., 1906-08-12
CHAPTER VIII.

AM@ naFFtnna C0mpafRu.
 We crossed the Potomac into Mary ana. near Leesbnrg, on the 7th of September, and were present at and took part in the investment and cap ture of Harpers Ferry.
 A portion of our army took position on the Maryland side to prevent the enemy from escaping along the road leading firm sHarper.s Ferry through Pleasant Valley The sth Alabama was across the road, From Hagerstown we had come into this valley through Crampton's Gap in the mountains. and we now understood that the force we left to guard the pass had been over whelmed and the pass carried What We knew was that Mcclellan was somewhere In our rear with practical " 100000 men. and that our army was divided, Jackson being over on the Virginia side. and tlAt in between us and Jackson was the fortified post, Harper's Ferry. manned by a large fogce. It proved to be fI.0O0 men. What we did not know then. but do know now, is that General Mcclellan at that time knew exactly the disposi- .tion of all our troops At Haeerstown General n. H. Hilfs lost copy of Gen eral Lees order for the disposition of our forces that were to capture Harpers Ferry, had fallen into his hands. But, fortunately for us Gener- al Mcclellan had decided when hc read this order first to destroy or capture General Longstreet,s Corps. that Gen. eral Lee was using to divert attention from the investment of Harper's For ry. McClellan's belief was that Gen eral Miles, in command of Harper's Ferry, would be able to hold us at bay until Longstreet should be dispos- ed of. The approach to Harper's Fer ry on the Maryland side was guard ed by Maryland Heights, seemingly in- accessible These had been fortified and occupied. The river in front of the sth Alabama as we laid across the Pleasant Valley road could not be crossed except by the single bridge leading into the town and held by the enemy. Such was our situation for two days. we about seven thousand Of the besiegers. oooped up. bemmed in and appahently at the mercy of the enemy. Our salvation depended upon the fall of the post: every officer and private knew 1t, and the suspense was awful But a portion of the troops that were with us on the Maryland side, McLaw's Division. soon captured Maryland Heights. and turned their cannon against the town. Jackson secured Loudon Heights on the Vir- ginia side and south of the Ferry, and with oIhef troops ndQ taken BoltVar Heights, also on the Virginia side, when on the morning of the 18th the joyful tidings thrilled along our line like an electric flash. that Harper's Ferry with all its garrison, stores and supplies, had surrendered
 On the morning of the 18th we marched through the little town and halted about one and a half nliles from it on the Virginia side Here we rested until near sunset. when Eve took up the line of march for Sh4p- ardstown. Longstreet's Corps that for two days had been contending in the mountain passes near Boonesburo with McClelian's forces. was falling back in the direction of Sharpsburg, and we were going to the rescue. The regiment WIS slready mnGh fStigued by it's matching and counter r-mar%ning. and the incessant watchdog consequent upon the siege of Harpcr Ferry. The march to Shepardstown was. therefore. trying in. the extreme; it was tramp, tramp, The whole night long noun ted officers dozed on tha'~ horses. snd the men fell asleep as they stood at every one of the momentary haults caused by the temporary and vacations stoppings of the jaded teams that in- tervened along the lina.