Today in History:

665 Series I Volume XIX-I Serial 27 - Antietam Part I

Page 665 Chapter XXXI. MARYLAND CAMPAIGN.

Question. What do you know about the offer I made to cut our way through before the surrender of Harper's Ferry?

Answer. On several occasions I heard you suggest that it could be done. In conversation, I think, with Colonel Cameron, Captain Phillips, and Captain Von Sehlen-my impression is that is was on Sunday night that you had a conversation with those three gentlemen-you suggested that the thing was possible. My impression is that some person-one of those three-was sent either to General White or to Colonel Miles, bearing a proposition of that character. Whether they saw them or not I do not know.

Question. After the evacuation of Maryland Heights, did I propose to retake the heights, and what happened after that? What orders did I give?

Answer. You said you thought the heights could be retaken, and, in order to prove that, you requested authority to send over to the heights, which you did. You received the authority, and sent over two companies from your own regiment and two from the Sixty-fifth Illinois.

Question. By whom were they commanded?

Answer. By Major Wood, of the Sixty-fifth Illinois.

Question. Did you go over yourself?

Answer. I did.

Question. What did you bring over from there?

Answer. We brought four brass field pieces-I do not know their weight-four caissons, and a tumbrel.

Question. Any ammunition and gunpowder?

Answer. Yes, sir; a wagon-load, as much as we could bring away. Had we had more wagons, we could have brought away a great deal more that was left.

Question. What enabled us to continue the fighting Sunday and Monday?

Answer. The ammunition brought over in that wagon. We got some 100 pairs of drawers from the One hundred and fifteenth Regiment, sent down by the quartermaster; you got tailors from various regiments of your brigade, and the powder in that wagon for the 11-inch Parrott guns on the heights was manufactured into cartridges for the 12-pounders, on our extreme right, commanded by Captain Graham, I believe.

Question. Do you know of orders that I gave during the latter part of the siege, before the surrender, as to what we would do?

Answer. Yes, sir.

Question. State as briefly as you can their contents.

Answer. Immediately after the surrender you gave orders that everything should be done and conducted in an orderly manner; that the arms should be stacked, saying that, as we had to surrender, the best thing we could do was to behave in an honorable and gentlemanly manner.

Question. I mean before that General Orders, No. 15.

Answer. I do not recollect it.

Question. It was when we supposed we would be attacked at the night time.

Answer. Your ordered the men to fight the best they could. You have the original of that order here, I think.

Question. Where had I been during the whole fight, and when the regiment broke up; when they broke on Sunday, what did I do with them?

Answer. You reformed it and marched it to the top of the hill, under the fire of both batteries.


Page 665 Chapter XXXI. MARYLAND CAMPAIGN.