Harper's Ferry,
A town in
Jefferson county, W. Va.; 49 miles northwest of
Washington; at the junction of the
Shenandoah and
Potomac rivers; the scene of several stirring events during the
Civil War period.
Within twenty-four hours after the passage of the ordinance of secession by the Virginia convention, April 17, 1861, the authorities of that State set forces in motion to seize the United States armory and arsenal in the town, in which the national government had 10,000 muskets made every year, and in which from 80,000 to 90,000 stand of arms were generally stored.
When the secession movement began, at the close of 1860, measures were taken for the security of this post.
A small body of United States dragoons, under the command of
Lieut. Roger Jones, was sent there as a precautionary measure.
After the attack on
Fort Sumter, rumors reached
Harper's Ferry that the government property there would be speedily seized by the Virginians.
The rumors were true.
On the morning of April 18 the
military commanders at
Winchester and
Charlestown received orders from
Richmond to seize the armory and arsenal that night.
They were further ordered to march into
Maryland, where, it was expected, they would be joined by the minute-men of that State in an immediate attack on
Washington.
About 3,000 men were ordered out, but only about 250 were at the designated rendezvous, 4 miles from the
Ferry, at the appointed hour—eight o'clock in the evening—but others were on the march.
As a surprise was important, the little detachment moved on. It was composed of infantry and cavalry and some artillery, with one cannon.
The cavalry, only about twenty strong, were commanded by a dashing officer—
Captain Ashby.
When the detachment was within a mile of the
Ferry, marching in silence and darkness, there was suddenly a flash and explosion in that direction.
This was quickly repeated, and the mountain heights were soon illuminated by flames.
Ashby dashed towards the town, and soon returned
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with a report that the armory and arsenal were on fire, and that the
National troops had crossed the
Potomac, and taken the mountain road in the direction of
Carlisle Barracks, in
Pennsylvania.
Lieutenant Jones had been secretly warned, twenty-four hours before, of the plan for seizing the post that night.
There were indications all around him of impending troubles.
Trains of powder were so prepared that, at a moment's warning, the powder in the magazine might be exploded, and the government buildings be set on fire.
Word came to
Jones, at near ten o'clock at night, that 2,000
Virginians were within twenty minutes march of him. The trains were fired, and the whole public property that was combustible was soon in ashes.
Then
Jones and his little garrison fled across the
Potomac, and reached
Hagerstown in the morning, and thence pushed on to
Chambersburg and Carlisle Barracks.
Jones was highly commended by his government.
The Confederate forces immediately took possession of ruined
Harper's Ferry as a strategic point.
Within a month fully 8,000
Virginians.
Kentuckians, Alabamians, and South Carolinians were there menacing
Washington.
Gen. Joseph E. Johnston was then charged with the duty of holding
Harper's Ferry.
General McClellan was throwing
Ohio troops into
western Virginia, and
Gen. Robert Patterson, in command of the Department of Pennsylvania, was rapidly gathering a force at
Chambersburg, Pa., under
Gen. W. H. Keim.
A part of the
Confederates at the
Ferry were on
Maryland Heights, on the left bank of the
Potomac, and against these
Patterson marched from
Chambersburg with about 15,000 men in June, 1861.
Just at this moment commenced
Wallace's dash on
Romney, which frightened
Johnston, and he abandoned
Harper's Ferry, and moved up the valley to
Winchester.
Before leaving he destroyed the great bridge of the Baltimore and Ohio Railway at the
Ferry with fire and gunpowder.
It was 1.000 feet long.
Then he spiked the heavy guns that could not be taken away, and encamped a few miles up the valley.
Patterson, who was at
Hagerstown, Md., pushed on, and on June 16 and 17 about 9,000 of his troops crossed the
Potomac by fording it at
Williamsport.
These were led by
Brig.-Gen. George Cadwalader, at the lead of five companies of cavalry.
At that moment
Patterson received orders by telegraph from
General Scott, at
Washington, to send
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to him all the regulars, horse and foot, under his (
Patterson's) command, and a Rhode Island regiment.
Patterson was embarrassed, and requested the general to leave the regulars with him, for he expected to hold the position and to keep open a free communication with the great
West by the Baltimore and Ohio Railway.
Scott refused, saying, “We are pressed here; send the troops without delay.”
The order was obeyed, and
Patterson was left without a single piece of available artillery, with only one troop of raw cavalry, and a total force of not more than 10,000 men, mostly undisciplined, to confront
Johnston with fully 15,000 drilled troops.
Patterson prudently recrossed the
Potomac, and remained on the
Maryland side until the beginning of July.
While
Lee was in
Maryland, in September, 1862,
Harper's Ferry, where a large amount of stores had been gathered, was held by National troops, under
Col. D. H. Miles.
When that post was threatened,
Halleck instructed
McClellan to succor the garrison, and on the day of the struggle at Turner's Gap (see
South Mountain) he ordered Miles to hold out to the last extremity.
Meanwhile
Jackson, by quick movements, had crossed the
Potomac at
Williamsport, and at noon on Sept. 13 he was in the rear of
Harper's Ferry.
The Confederates were then in possession of Loudon Heights and also of
Maryland Heights, which commanded
Harper's Ferry.
That post was completely invested by the
Confederates on the 14th.
Miles was told by
McClellan to “hold on,” and also informed how he might safely escape.
But he appeared to pay no attention to instructions, and to make no effort at defence; and when, early on the 15th, no less than nine bat-
Franklin followed the same route as
McLaws from
Frederick to
Pleasant Valley; the remainder of the
Union Army that of
Longstreet from
Frederick to
Boonesboro, and thence to the
Antietam.
The arrows show the direction of the march.
Where two or more letters come together, it indicates that the several bodies followed the same route.
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teries opened upon the garrison, he displayed a white flag.
Before it was seen by the
Confederates, one of their shots had killed him. The post was surrendered, with all its troops, ordnance, ammunition, and stores.
There were 11,583 men— half of them New-Yorkers—surrendered, and the spoils were seventy-three cannon, 13,000 small-arms, 200 wagons and a large quantity of tents and camp equipage.
It was shown that Miles had disobeyed orders to take measures for the defence of the post, and he was strongly suspected of sympathy with the
Confederate cause.
See also
Brown, John (Ossawatomie).
