The National tribune., 1907-12-12

, his long-range PARROTS to open fire
: which they did with demoralizing eff
/ feet upon the garrison. From Loudour
H1ghts nearly every part of the UnioI
camps cou1d be reached by a plungini
, fire, to which no effective reply could b,
made ~
Gen. Walker says that Jackson wa.
not disposed, to push things. but to sent
in flag offtruce, and allow the Fedora
: commander "a hours in which to sur
} render. Jackson could not be made t.
believe that McClellan's army had lef
borhood. An hour after Walkers bat.
teries opened those of Gen. A. P. Hill
and Lawton did the same, and about ;
lo'clock McLawss guns began firing
from Maryland Hights.
Col. Ford on Maryland Hishts.
Col Ford had with him between
1000 and 5000 men on Maryland
Hights-32d Ohio, 3ath, 115th and
126th N. Y. and part of a Maryland
regiment-and the place where he could
have made his defense against McLaws
was very difficult pass called Solo
mons Gap. With little fortifying this
could have been held against any num-
Der brought in opposition to it. Nc
IClellan's attention had been called to
it, and he had ordered Miles to fortify
it, but he had not done SO nor made
the least attempt to carry out such a
command. He had not even filled
Fords urgent requisition for spades and
axes. There is some conflict as to what
order Miles actually gave Col. Ford
orders Miles actually gave Col. Ford
dead at the time of the investigation
Ford could make, without fear of con-
| tradiction, any statement he chose in
his own exculpation.
| 1t is said for Miles that he construed
| IInl1n L..
entirely too literally and kept his main
strength at the bottom of the pocket
to block Lees passage thru the gate
way.
1t is impossible to believe that man
| with any common sense, not to say one
who had made profession of arms
for 40 years, should not have under
stood that the holding of Maryland
| flights was absolutely necessary to the
holding of Harper's Ferry, and that
with his guns on Maryland flights he
could have blocked the gateway quite
as effectually as by huddling down at
the junction of the rivers.
| McLaws attacked Solomon's Gap, and
found there a wooden barricade hastily
constructed. He managed to drive back
| the small detachment he found there,
but encountered some resistance as he
advanced, until about 9 O'Clock he found
| it necessary to send for reinforcements.
With these he drove the Union soldiers
back rom position which under a
competent commander they could have
| held indefinitely. McLaws did not ad
vance much further after this success
! because he heard of the approach OF
the Sixth Corps toward Crampton's Gap,
and he therefore sent Cobb back with
his brigade to dispute the passage and
| protect his rear.
The Union troops on Maryland flights
had so far only had fighting enough
| to warm their blood, and were expect
ing something more serious. when they
We're astonished and mortified beyond
| expression to receive orders from Ford
to retire down the mountain, abandon
ing the stronghold. They sullenly obey
ed during the night of Sept 49, Nc
Laws was 9iiot lat all enterprising in
pushing forward. and did not learn of
| their retreat until toward noon of Sep.
| IA. In the meanwhile some daring
| soldiers of sForEs command finding
that they were not pursued, returned to
the HightsI IcandIbrought off four guns
/ which had been7 abandoned in the re-
| treat About 2Do'cIock McLaws ad-
vanced along tfie flights to where he
could see down into the village, and
brought uB his light guns and opened
| fire The distance WAS too great, how
| ever. for his shots to take effect, but
|
whereabouts.
| Stonewall Jackson had in the mean
| time been arranging his troops for tie
assault as soon as he could be certain
of the presence Of McLaws and Walker
Finding Walker in position, he moved
against the left of the thin line OF de-
| fense, and carried quite a length of il
on Bolivar Hights with comparatively
little loss. During the night he per-
sonally placed most of his field artil-
lery in position to fire effectively, and
sent the rest across the Shenandoah to
the foot of Loudoun Hights, where he
could take the Federal line on Bolivar
Hights in reverse.
| Col Davis Cuts His Way Out.
1t was seen al once that the garrison
was in the most perilous position, and
Col. r. F. Davis, of the Sth N. Y Cav
seconded by Lieut.. Col Hasbrouck Da-
Wis. of the 18th Ill. Cav, had an inter.
view with Col. Miles, in which they in
sisted upon not. surrendering. Col. b
+. Davis, who was a Regular Army Off
Ger, stood in no awe whatever of Col
Miles, and gave his private opinion oil
his actions in words of unmistakablo
warmth. Even then Col. Miles haG
determined to surrender. but the two
Davises insisted that the cavalry must
not be included. as the horses and
value to the Confederates. AS soldiers
they were determinedly opposed to sur
rendering without fighting and without
making any effort to escape. At last
they extorted from Miles an order fol
them to make their way out if possible
on the night of Sept IA. At o'clock
led by the two Davises, who rode at the
head of the column, and guided by
some Maryland soldiers, native to that
region, some 1000 cavalry crossed the
Potomac by the pontoon bridge, passed
up along the canyon for some distance
until ir the neighborhoOd of the Con
thru the woods. They were constantly
| in the presence of the Confederates but
the men were cautioned not to talk OF
do anything to betray themselves Col
b. F. Davis led the column to the
| mouth of the Antietam, whence he
turned to the right and struck across
Maryland for Greencastle, where he ar
rived the next morning. During the
night he came upon one of Longstreet's
ammunition trains of from so to GO
wagons, which he captured without fir
ing shot, and brought with him to
Greencastle. The train was guarded by
some 900 Confederates, who were also
captured.
Some of the infantry Colonels be-
sought Miles for permission to follow
the cavalry, but he obstinately refused
The infantry, if properly directed, need
not have gone more than four or five
miles to reach Franklin's forces of the