Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 9.
Frank Moore, Ed.

[708] so soon as his infantry fell back, while that of Captain Poague was moved down the road along our former front, so soon as we advanced, and opened on the opposing troops of the enemy as the movement continued. The five guns at Sudley's Ford, under Lieutenant David Barton of Cutshaw's battery, were also engaged in repelling an attack of the enemy at that point, which they did, supported by a body of cavalry under Major Patrick. In this battle we lost no guns. Captain Brockenbrough had two disabled, one having burst, while the vent-piece of the other was burnt out. One caisson was also exploded. It is impossible to state how many guns were captured; I could never find out; three we got, I know; I saw four or five others on the field, but I do not know whether they belonged to the enemy, or whether they were guns that had been exchanged for them.

On Monday, first of September, in the battle of Ox Hill we had no artillery engaged. The character of the ground was such that it could not be brought into action. Several batteries were posted so as to check any success of the enemy, but none became engaged. The enemy had engaged only four guns, two Napoleons and two howitzers.

On the same day, two guns of Rice's battery took position between Chantilly and Centreville, with the Second Virginia brigade, under Colonel Bradley T. Johnson. They had a slight engagement with the enemy, I know; but I was not there, and do not know the particulars. I presume Colonel Johnson's report will show.

I am, Colonel, very respectfully,

Your obedient servant,

Colonel: I have the honor to submit the following report of the operations of the artillery of this army corps in the capture of Harper's Ferry and battle of Sharpsburg, in September, 1862:

On Saturday, September thirteen, 1862, the command of Lieutenant-General Jackson appeared before Harper's Ferry, on the southern side, having approached it from Martinsburg. That day was spent in reconnaissance. On Sunday a cannonade was opened on the enemy from the batteries of Brigadier-General John G. Walker from Loudoun Heights, and from those of Major-General McLaws from Maryland Heights. The enemy were strongly intrenched on Bolivar Heights and just around the house of the former superintendent of the armory. At the latter place, his fire was pretty well silenced late in the day. Toward the close of the afternoon a general advance was made on the place. Major-General A. P. Hill's division moved along the west bank of the Shenandoah, that of Major-General Ewell, commanded by Brigadier-General Lawton, was on the left of General Hill's, while Jackson's division, commanded by Colonel Grigsby, approached on the road from Harper's Ferry to Shepherdstown. The early approach of night prevented any serious engagement. During the night ten guns, from the batteries of Captains Dement, Brown, Garber, and Latimer, were moved up the Shenandoah, and, crossing at Kelley's Ford, moved down on the other side until opposite the left of the enemy's line of intrenchments. This position, although commanded perfectly by Bolivar Heights, yet secured a fire into the rear of the enemy's works on his left, where he had a work with an embrasure battery of four guns, but open in the rear, and the first point of his works to be encountered by Major-General A. P. Hill. This work gained, his other works were untenable. A road having to be cut for these ten guns prevented their opening at daybreak, as General Jackson had ordered. The attack was begun by a battery of eight guns in front, and rather to the right, of this work, from the batteries of Captains Pegram, Mcintosh, Davidson, and Braxton, of Major-General A. P. Hill's division. In a short time the guns of Captains Brown, Garber, Latimer, and Dement, being in position, their fire was directed against this work from the rear. Its battery was quickly silenced, the men running from their guns, but returning to them in a short time after the guns directed on the work were brought to bear on the enemy's infantry in his intrenchments. These pieces were therefore again directed on the work, and, in something less than an hour, its fire was completely silenced. Our guns being again turned on the enemy's infantry, they soon began to fall back from their intrenchments in great confusion, and the white flag was raised over their works.

The captured guns being turned over to the quartermaster for removal, I can make no exact return of the number. We had none disabled, and of course lost none.

On reaching Shepherdstown, late next evening, I met Brigadier-General W. N. Pendleton, who desired me to return to Harper's Ferry, and endeavor to get together batteries of the captured guns, and such ammunition as I could, and send it to Shepherdstown, or to the battle-field of Sharpsburg, as our ordnance supplies were getting short, and our batteries in an inefficient condition, from hard marching and previous fighting. I therefore returned to Harper's Ferry. After much difficulty I found the quartermaster in charge of the captured guns, and found that he had been busy in removing them, and in so doing had mismatched the caissons, limbers, and guns, to such an extent that, after vainly spending half the day at it, I gave up the task of getting together any batteries from among them. The batteries of Captains Brown, Dement, and Latimer had been left at Harper's Ferry as disabled, on account of the condition of their horses. I therefore had horses turned over to them, filled them up with ammunition, exchanged