The National tribune., 1907-12-05


est military mind in the Southern Con-
| federacy, saw the folly of attempting
to hold Harper's Ferry. and never tried
| to do so. Halleck was possessed of the
same exaggerated idea as Jefferson Da-
| Wis as to the strength of the position
He kept it under his immediate COM
| mand, with garrison of 5000 men un-
der Col. Dixon S. Miles, with $500 more
| men at Martinsburg, a few miles west,
under Gen. Julius s. White Mcclellan
| advised the evacuation of the place, but
| Halleck would not hear of it. and con-
centrated there great quantity of
stores. Gen. Lee, who was soldier
| enough to comprehend the real weak
ness of the position, conceived the idea
| of its capture with it's garrison and
stores, and felt, from his experience OF
Mcclellan, that the latter's deiiberation
| of movement, increased by the demor-
alization in which he found his army.
would allow Lee abundant time to COM
plete the capture before Mcclellan
would molest him. Accordingly, he
| sent to his commanders the famous or
| der, No. 191, as to which there has
| been So much discussion. This order
ran as follows:
Headquarters Army of Northern
Virginia, Sept 9, 1862.
Especial Orders, No. 1917
The army will resume its march to-
u.
Gen. Jacllson's command will form the
advance, and after passing Midaletown
with such portion as he may select,
take the route toward Sharpsburg, cross
The Potomac at the most cop1euient
point. and by Friday morning Ike pos
session of the Baltimore & Ohio Rail-
road, capture such of them as snay be
ut Martinsburg. and intercept auch as
may attempt to escape from fsarpers
Ferry.
Gen. Longstreet's command will
pursue the main road as far as Boons-
| borough, where it will halt with the
reserve, supply and baggage t;stins of
the army.
Gen. McLaws, with his own sivision
and that of Gen. r. H. ANDERSEN, will
follow Gen. Longstreet On reaching
Middletown will take the route % Har-
per's Ferry, and by Friday rsorning
possess himself of the Marylands sHights
and endeavor' to capture the epsmy at
Harper's Ferry and vicinity.
Gen. Walker. with his divisic.t. after
accomplishing the object in which he
is now engaged, will cross the PStomac
at Cheeks Ford. ascend its righ! bank
to Lovettsville. take possession lf Lou
doun HightS, if practicable. by Friday
morning, Keys'S Ford on his lyt and
the road between the end of the Snoun-
tain and the Potomac on his right. He
will. as far as practicable, cooperate
and intercept the retreat of the enemy.
Gen. D. H. Hills Division will form
the rear guard of the army, pursuing
the road taken by the main body. The
reserve artillery, ordnance and supply
trains, etc, will precede Gen. Hill
Gen. Stuart will detach a q14adron
of cavalry to accompany the commands
of Gems Longstreet, Jackson anil Nc
Laws, and with the main army Of the
cavalry will cover the route OF the
army. bringing up all stragglers that
may have been left behind.
THE commands of Gems Jackson,
McLaws and Walker, after accomplish
ing the objects for which they have
been detached, will join the maiH body
of the army at Boonsborough OF Ha-
gerstown.
Each regiment on the marcn will
habitually carry its axes in the. regi-
mental ordnance wagons, for use of the
men at their encampments to procure
wood, ETC.
"R. H. Chiffon. Assistant Adjutant-
General"
How the Order Was Found.
A copy of this fateful order. giving
Mcclellan full information of all his
opponent contemplated doing, was
placed in his hands on the morning of
Sept. 13. We know it reached his hands
before noon, since at II M, Sept. I3, he
telegraphed TO President Lincoln: 'T
have all the plans of the rebels and
will catch them in their own trap If
my men are equal to the emergency"
There are many accounts as to how
this order was secured. One story is
that it was wrapped around a couple
of cigars which had apparently dropped
out of some officers pocket as he passed
along the road Gen. Bradley T. john
son says there was a tradition in Fred
erfck that Gen. d. H. Hill was seen to
drop a paper on the street of that town.
which was afterwards picked up. The
Compile de Paris says that it was found
in house in Frederick which had been
occupied by Gen. Hill. Gen. Hill abso-
lutely denies ever having received an
order. He says that he was under
Jackson's command, and consequently
Lee would not have sent him the order
but that his order would have come
thru Jackson. and the one that he re-
ceived wGs still in his possession. He
says: My Adiutant-General made affi-
davit 20 years ago that no order was
received at our office from Ger. Lee.
but an order from Lees office directed
TO me was lost and fell into McClellan's
hands. Did the courier lose it? Did
Lees own staff officers lose it? do
not know"
ITO be continued)
Wants Witnesses.