Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/114

 108 Southern Historical Society Papers.

About II o'clock on the morning of the 13th the head of his col- umn came in sight of the enemy drawn up on Bolivar Heights, the southwestern suburb of Harper's Ferry. Thus Jackson was fully on time. McLaws, who had not half the distance of Jackson to march, entered Pleasant Valley on the nth, and on the 12th pro- ceeded towards Maryland Heights. The way was rough. The Heights themselves were not strongly guarded — by a small force, I think, of two regiments. It was about half-past 4 on Saturday even- ing, the 13th, when General Kershaw succeeded in carrying the Heights. The Confederate loss in this operation was slight which shows that the resistance was not very determined. It was difficult to get artillery upon the mountain from the Pleasant Valley side and General McLaws had to haul them up by hand, and it was 2 o'clock P. M.Sunday, 14th, before McLaws's guns were in position to co-op- erate with Jackson's in the reduction of Harper's Ferry. Thus the capture of Maryland Heights was accomplished, not on Friday morning, but some thirty hours later, on Saturday evening, and when McLaws got possession of the Heights, Jackson had been for some hours at Bolivar. Walker, who crossed to the Virginia side at the Point of Rocks, reached the foot of Loudoun Heights by 10 o'clock on the 13th (Saturday), and took possession of them with- out opposition by 2 P. M. of that day. By 8 o'clock on the morn- ing of the 14th his artillery was up and ready for action. It thus appears that McLaws and Walker were each more than a day late in reaching their positions and about two days late in gelling their artil- lery into place for effective co-operation in the reduction of the garri- son. Hence the statement by General Longstreet that McLaws made a hurried march to reach Maryland Heights before Jackson could get in position, and succeeded in doing so, gives an entirely erroneous impression. We have nothing to say in derogation of the brave and skillful part performed by General McLaws and General Walker in the reduction of Harper's Ferry — all honor to them for what they did — but it is evident that if McLaws made a hurried march, Jack- son must have made one more than twice as much hurried, since in the same time he marched about fifty miles to McLaws's twenty. Nor is it true that McLaws reached Maryland Heights before Jack- son got in position. It was General Lee's intention, evidently, from his order, that both McLaws and Walker should be in position before Jackson, as it was likely that the enemy, when alarmed, would attempt to escape through the avenues to be guarded by their com- mands, but Jackson, as we have seen, was in front of Bolivar before either Maryland or Loudoun Heights were occupied.