The National tribune., 1907-10-10
CAPTURE OF HARpER.s FERRY
The Garrison Made Long and Gallant
RcSistnBce to an Overwhelming Force


In paper read before the Reunion
of the 5th n. Y. H.. A. at Saratoga,
Capt Jas. II. Barker rsaid:
Contrary to all written history, the
Harper's Ferry garrison defended that
post in September. 1862, bravely and
against terrible oddsb with the result
that they prevented 1.-THE rebel army
from overrunning 4the North and die
tating its own termsI- 1t was conclu-
sively shown that by far the most men,
orable occurrence that ever took
place within the shadows of the Blue
Ridge was that of September, 1862,
when Mcclellan engaged Lees forces
at Turner's Gap and Franklin those
of McLaws at Crampton's Gap, both in
Maryland. while Dixon S. Miles held
the redoubtable Stonewall Jackson 1T,
bay on Bolivar HigfTts and the Con-
federate Gen. John Ga Walker on Lou
don Hights, both south of the Potomac
Thursday, Sept. Ii, McLaws's troops
sheiled our pickets at Solomon's Gap
On Friday our forces were engaged the
principal part of the day; early Satur-
day morning they We're forced to fall
back: they were stampeded down the
mountain to the rear of our guns on
Maryland Hights, which covered the
whole mountain. The battery soon
went into action; at a. m. the order
" nv Hdo 6aSCh. HIS WAS
for nearly four hours. and during all
this time the cannonading was heavy
and rapid; the very air around us
shook as the sound waves collided goo"
AT about 1890 o'clock that morning
an order in writing, signed by Col. Thos
II. Ford, commanding the Maryland
forces, to cease firing, destroy the bat
terry and evacuate the Hights was sent
to us. There was nothing left for us
but to obey. With sad hearts we
left the Hights. Ford was dismissed
from the service. We reached Harper's
Ferry, and placed six 30-pounders in
position on Camp Hill. Sunday very
effective fire was kept up from our
guns. From old Loudoun the guns
had plunging fire upon our battery
from 1000 feet above. but We main
tained our effective fire until late that
Sunday afternoon, and until our last
gun was dismounted. Our defense was
brave and stubborn, prolonged and
against fearful odds. For four days,
on short rations, from Thursday, Sept
II. 1862, Until Monday. Sept. Is, Col.
Miles, with his little army of four bri-
gades, held at bay 26 brigades of the
enemy, composed of the flower of the
rebel army. differed by their abIest
Generals and supported by their best
artillery. Probably no fiercer lombard
ment ever took place during the whole
CIVIL war tHdil tndl at harper S Ferry
when the enemys whole artillery
opened upon us from every point of
the compass. A ceaseless hail of shells
swept the narrow neck of land to which
the garrison was confined. but the Fed
eral batteries worked with stubborn
courage until the last round had been
delivered Harper's Ferry did not fall
without a struggle" as one historian
has written, nor was the resistance
Slight" as Halleck has stated in his
report, which he must have known to
be contrary to truth. His motive is ap-
parent. 1t was Hai,eck who put us in
that trap and had kept us there against
all dictates of military prudence A
surrender was decided upon by a coun-
ell Of war called by our commandant;
the decision was unanimous, flags of
truce We're improvised, the roar of can
non ceased about 8 O'clock; but a
shell from one Of the guns on our right
flank mortally wounded our gallant
commander. so that he died the next
day.
The surrender was not unconditional:
the men were brave even to the last:
the terms of the capitulation, thanks
to Gen. julius White, who arranged for
the Union forces, were honorable; the.
men never marched between the enc
mys lines; they never passed Sub
jugam." We had been overwhelmed
gated nor even subdued.
For four days We held at bay Stone
wall Jackson, supported by Maj.-Gens
A. p. Hill, Lafayette McLaws, ]. E. B.
Stuart, Howell Cobb and Others rs bri-
gades to our four. We are happy to
know that We kept those 26 brigades
busy while Mcclellan won the two bat
ties of South Mountain at Turner's and
Crampton's Gap.
| In that garrison were men who aft
erwards shed luster upon the Union
arms. and Gen. Julius White himself
was brevetted Major for gal
lantry in that very action, which his
torians say never took place Col. Miles
was graduate of West Point, who had
seen active service In the Florida War.
the war with Mexico, and the civil war.
He was brevetted Major for gallantry in
the defense of Fort Brown, and Lieu
tenant-Colonel for bravery at M onte-
rey. He had been ordered to hold the
! post to the last extremity and this he
did. Had he led his forces out he would
have done just what the enemy de-