Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 14.djvu/116

 no Southern Historical Society Papers.

seconded by McLaws'sand Walker's guns from the mountain tops. "In an hour," says Jackson, "the enemy's fire seemed to be silenced, and the batteries of General Hill were ordered to cease their fire, which was the signal for storming the works." Again, however, the enemy opened, drawing a rapid fire from Hill's batte- ries at close quarters. At 8 o'clock, as Jackson's lines were about moving forward to the attack, the white flag was hoisted, and the garrison surrendered. The captures amounted to over ii,ooomen, 73 pieces of artillery, 13,000 stand of small arms, and other stores.

During the 14th McClellan had thrown ibrward Franklin to Cramp ton's Gap, through which McLaws had entered Pleasant Valley. After a spirited resistance by Colonel Munford's cavalry and Mc- Laws's rear guard, the mountain pass was forced, and at nightfall Franklin had full possession of the road to McLaws's rear. But a day had been gained, and this was enough to insure the fall of Har- per's Ferry. During the evening and night of the 14th McLaws moved back a large part of his troops, and drew them up across the Valley in so strong a position, and so skillfully, that Franklin next morning declined to attack. After the surrender of Harper's Ferry, McLaws who, on the morning of the 15th, was hedged in by the garri- son at the one end of Pleasant Valley, and by Franklin at the other, was relieved from his unpleasant position. He withdrew through Harper's Ferry, and returned to the army by the route taken by Jackson. Jackson, many of whose men had had little rest on the night of the 14th, left A. P. Hill to dispose of the prisoners and stores at Harper's Ferry, and on the evening of the 15th set out to rejoin his chief By a severe night-march he reached the Potomac at Shep- herdstown, and on the morning of the i6th crossed the river and rejoined Lee. Walker followed him closely, and reached the battle- field at about the same time. McLaws rested for some time near Harper's Ferry, and then moved towards Sharpsburg, which he did not reach unti' about 9 o'clock on the 17th.

Of the soldiers of the Federal garrison cooped up in Harper's Ferry none escaped except about 1,300 cavalry under Colonel Davis. They silently made their way up the north bank of the Potomac at the foot of Maryland Heights during the night of the 14th. Next morning in their retreat they ran foul of some of Longstreet's trains near Sharpsburg and did some damage. The road by which these soldiers escaped was on General McLaws's line. Stuart had suggested to McLaws the propriety of guarding it, and Jackson had cautioned him against the danger of the garrison's attempting