Today in History:

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

Page 689 Chapter XXXI. MARYLAND CAMPAIGN.

Question. Did you ever hear Colonel Miles say that our line of defense was to be on Bolivar Heights; that line was to be where he was going to make his fight, or anything substantially like that?

Answer. I heard him make a remark to that effect more than once, I think.

Question. Do you know of my having to deploy Colonel Willard's regiment after they were in line for the purpose of completing the connection between our right and the extreme left, on the Shenandoah River?

Answer. Yes, sir; I know it was deployed.

Question. Were all the troops in that line able to form more than a single line of battle? Could there have been more than that there, with the troops we had, aside from those for the defense of the bridges?

Answer. All the troops that appeared, so far as my knowledge goes, had been employed, and they certainly did not handsomely cover the line.

Question. What was your opinion in regard to the property or impropierty of the surrender at the time it occurred?

Answer. At the time it occurred I regarded it as proper; that it could not have been avoided.

Question. Have you been in any other engagement besides that, and where?

Answer. The only other engagement of note I was in was the battle of Pea Ridge, in Arkansas. I have been in several skirmishes.

By the JUDGE-ADVOCATE:

Question. You have no knowledge of the condition of things on Maryland Heights, which led to their evacuation?

Answer. Nothing whatever, of my own knowledge.

By General WHITE:

Question. You may, or may not, know whether I was requested by Colonel Miles to look to the left of the line on Bolivar Heights, to attend to that particular portion, and what duty I discharged was to be done there?

Answer. I understood it so; but whether I heard Colonel Miles say so or not I am not confident.

Question. That is where we were during the entire siege, mostly?

Answer. Yes, sir; I was not up on Maryland Heights at all, myself.

By the COURT:

Question. Did you ever know of any order given by Colonel Miles in regard to the abandonment of Maryland Heights?

Answer. No, sir.

Question. Nor anything that passed subsequently, showing either approval or disapproval on his part?

Answer. No, sir; I heard him make some remarks in the evening of the same day of the evacuation. I do not know as it bears upon that point especially. He said the troops he had there behaved very badly, and mentioned especially one regiment, the One hundred and twenty-sixth New York. He said it not only ran whenever a gun was fired, accidentally or otherwise, but also ran over what troops he had there, that would maintain their positions by themselves. He said it was impossible to maintain the position of those heights, and that he could do no better than to give them up.

The Commission then adjourned to 11 a.m. to-morrow.

44 R R-VOL XIX, PT I


Page 689 Chapter XXXI. MARYLAND CAMPAIGN.