ficult and dangerous task of bringing up the rear was entrusted to General Fitz Lee, who performed this important duty, as afterwards at Sharpsburg, with a courage and ability which excited the admiration of the whole army. This accomplished officer had distinguished himself by skill and daring upon many fields; but it was left for him, and his associate commanders of the cavalry arm, to show the infantry on this occasion that the saddle of a cavalryman is not a bed of roses, and that "dead bodies with spurs on them" could be discovered, and discovered in considerable numbers.

The last to leave the field, General Stuart with his cavalry, everywhere met and repulsed the enemy's advance, the Confederate forces slowly retired, and at daylight on Monday morning the army reached Sharpsburg.

General McClellan hastened to pass through the mountains, soon after dawn on the 15th, and push forward to the relief of Harper's Ferry. But he was too late. The golden moment had passed away, the strong arm of Jackson had struck.

CHAPTER XIX.

CAPTURE OF HARPER'S FERRY.

JACKSON had performed the work assigned to him with rapidity, accuracy, and success.

Leaving Frederick City on the 10th, as General McClellan was pressing forward, he moved with great rapidity through Middletown, Boonsboro', and Williamsport, recrossed the Potomac into Virginia, at Light's ford, and pressed forward to his task. A. P. Hill was sent on the main road to Martinsburg, Ewell's and Jackson's old division moved to the North Mountain depot on the railroad about seven miles northwest of Martinsburg, and Major Myers commanding the cavalry was despatched as far south as the Berkeley and Hampshire turn

pike. The object of these precautions was to prevent the escape westward of General White, commanding the Federal force at Martinsburg, and they fully attained their object. On the night of the 11th General White evacuated the town, and fell back to the trap set for him at Harper's Ferry.

On the 12th Jackson entered the town, capturing large quantities of Federal stores. On the morning of the 13th, at about 11 o'clock, the head of his column came in view of the enemy drawn upon Bolivar Heights.

We have already presented a brief topographical sketch of Harper's Ferry. It is a small village nestling beneath an almost perpendicular hill, in the angle formed by the junction of the Potomac and the Shenandoah. Bolivar Heights is in rear of the town, Maryland Heights is opposite, on the northern bank, and Loudoun Heights is that portion of the Blue Ridge across the Shenandoah and east of the place. General Johnston had retired from this position because it was exposed to an enfilade and reverse fire from the heights above mentioned. The Confederate forces now occupied these commanding positions-it was the enemy who were cooped up in Harper's Ferry-and Jackson prepared to try upon General Miles, commanding the enemy's force, the strategy which General Patterson no doubt intended to direct against Johnston.

Jackson immediately had recourse to signals--of which he always made great use-to ascertain if General McLaws and Walker were in position. Neither height responded to his flags; and a courier was sent to each of the generals for information. Jackson would unquestionably have stormed the place that day, the 13th, and have been with his entire command at Crampton and Boonsboro' Gaps in time to take part in the battles at those two points on the 14th; but to attack while the enemy had their way of escape open, would nct only have failed to obtain the main object of the expedition, but more than 10,000 fresh troops would have been thrown against the weak Confederate lines at the lower gap of South Mountain. It was not until late in the night that the courier from Loudoun Heights brought

word that General Walker was in position. General McLaws was also, at this hour, in his allotted place, having attacked and driven off the Federal force on Maryland Heights.

The character of the ground-mountain and river-rendering communication by courier exceedingly difficult and tedious, resort was again had to signals; but even with this assistance Jackson could not, in spite of his utmost exertions, convey to Walker and McLaws his orders for the attack until late in the day. Time was infinitely precious now, for the distant thunder of artillery from South Mountain indicated the engagements there, and nothing had been done at Harper's Ferry. Walker and McLaws signalled that Bolivar Heights, where the enemy were still posted, was out of range of their artillery; and Jackson saw the necessity of forcing the Federal line back under the guns of his coadjutors.

The order of battle by which Jackson surrounded the enemy, and reached a position for storming the place in the morning, was as follows:

General Hill was directed to move on the right along the bank of the Shenandoah, around the base of the hill, and turning the enemy's left, enter the town in their rear. In this movement Ewell's division under General Lawton was to coöperate.

One brigade of Jackson's old division, and a battery, under General Jones, was to make a demonstration against the enemy's right, while the remainder of the division as a reserve moved along the turnpike in front.

Major Massie, commanding the cavalry, was directed to draw up his command on the left of the line, to prevent the enemy from escaping toward Martinsburg.

General Walker was on Loudoun Heights to prevent their escape over the mountain.

General McLaws was on Maryland Heights to cut them off from the line of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad.

The Federal commander was thus as completely environed with watchful and dangerous foes, as a wild animal driven into his hole by a party of hunters, with all the avenues barred

against his exit. Like a wolf in some cavern of the mountains, he was about to be smoked out, and forced either to surrender or die defending himself.

The movement commenced on the left, late in the afternoon, the Stonewall Brigade, under Colonel Grigsby, advancing to secure an elevated position on the enemy's right. The Federal cavalry here stationed was promptly dispersed, and the eminence seized upon. General Hill was equally successful on the right, next to the Shenandoah. Moving obliquely until he struck the river, he observed in front of him a commanding position occupied by Federal infantry, but no artillery-the approaches having been obstructed by an abatis of felled trees. The brigades of Pender, Archer, and Brockenbrough were directed to storm the position, and rushing forward, Pender in advance, they attained the crest of the hill, the enemy retreating almost without resistance.

In the centre the line was also pushed forward with energy. Ewell's division, under Lawton, moved along the turnpike and the fields which skirted it, in three columns, until it reached Halltown, when line of battle was formed, and Lawton advanced to School House Hill; his own brigade and Trimble's being on the right of the road, and Hay's and Early's on the left.

Such was the position of the Confederate lines when night descended. But the hours of darkness were not suffered to pass unimproved. The brigades of Branch and Gregg, with Thomas' as a reserve, moved along the Shenandoah, and taking advantage of the ravines of the precipitous banks of the river, established themselves on the plain to the left and rear of the enemy's works; and all night the Confederate artillery was moving into position. Jackson had a passion for artillery, as we have already stated, and on this occasion he seems to have posted his batteries with a care which left nothing to be desired. Colonel Lindsey Walker had put in position on the crest gained by Pender, on the enemy's left, the batteries of Pegram, McIntosh, Davidson, Braxton, and Crenshaw; and during the night Colonel Crutchfield, Jackson's chief of artillery, crossed ten

guns of Ewell's division over the Shenandoah and established them on the right bank, on the acclivity of the mountain, so as to enfilade the Federal position on Bolivar Heights, and take his nearest and most formidable fortifications in reverse. The other batteries of Ewell's division were placed upon School House Hill; Poague and Carpenter were posted on the left, opposite the Federal right, and Walker and McLaws were directed to coöperate in the assault from the heights on the east and the north-Jackson signalling to them: "I have occupied and now hold the enemy's first line of intrenchments, and, with the blessing of God, will capture the whole force early in the morning."

At dawn on the 15th of September, at the moment when General McClellan began to move from Boonsboro' upon the retiring forces of General Lee, Jackson opened his artillery upon Harper's Ferry. Colonel Walker, Hill's chief of artillery, commenced a rapid enfilade fire from all his batteries at about one thousand yards, and their thunders were echoed by the guns on School House Hill in front. Soon the batteries of Brown, Garber, Latimer, and Dement across the Shenandoah opened on the Federal rear; and Poague and Carpenter answered from the left, pouring a hot and heavy fire upon the enemy's right. Above the heads of the cannoneers raced the shot and shell of Walker and McLaws from the Loudoun and Maryland Heightsrendering the scene one of great magnificence. The Federal batteries replied, and for an hour kept up a resolute fire. At the end of that time their fire slackened, and then seemed to be silenced.

All at once the batteries of Colonel Walker ceased their fire, and the infantry prepared to storm their works, for this was the signal agreed upon. Pender had commenced his advance against their left, when the enemy made a last effort, and again opened. The batteries of Pegram and Crenshaw replied with a rapid and destructive fire, and the infantry was about to rush forward and storm the positions of the enemy, when a white flag fluttered from the Federal works, and in the midst of cheers which rolled aloft and were reëchoed from the wooded mountain, it was announced that the Federal commander had surrendered.