A rainy night in Maryland, four of us under the shelter halves, myself pretending it was my cat next to me making those sweet purring sounds, and so a few wet winks were had.  Then as fine a shootout the next day as the unit has had in a long time, with your humble captain being given the honor of leading the battalion.  We stopped an overwhelming number of the enemy, who were supposed to flank and overrun us.   But we had good men on the firing line, good officers, and a very good position in the rocks and on the woodline.  Every man did his duty admirably.   Unfortunately, the day ended with two things that I regret; we declined to join the evening battle, and then four of us bugged out, because of the ongoing inclemency.   Well, we'll do better next time.  I salute those of you, led by Lt. Turley, who braved a second rain-swept night and hung in.  Your were the F Company heroes of the weekend.

      Gentlemen, we are now facing some changes just ahead in our future.  The most important, and the one about which I need each man's individual input, is the finding of a new home for F Company.  It seems that Jackson's Corps has entered into some sort of dormancy, and we therefore find ourselves an orphan unit at each event, randomly attached to whatever battalion needs numbers.  I want us to do better than this, and to be part of a well organized, energetic and enthusiastic reenacting parent organization.  Two that I know of in some detail are Longstreet's Corps, and the IVR.  Before we make any move, I need to hear from you.  Which direction would you like to see the leadership of F Company pursue; Longstreet's, IVR, some other, or stay with Jackson's Division?  Please make contact by phone or email ASAP and let me know your thoughts, they will indeed guide us in this decision, which I want to have made by the end of this reenacting season.    

When the unit was at full strength, we had nine members present: The Captain, myself, Corporal Gammon, and Privates: Powell, Harris, Gammon, Parzych, Pate, and Dachos.

The Saturday afternoon battle went fairly well with a lot of firing and maneuvering. As I said, Captain Ramsey was battalion commander and did an excellent job.

Friday night, Saturday, and Saturday night were rather wet with off and on rain. When Sunday morning rolled around, only five of us remained: myself and Privates Powell, Harris, Parzych, and Dachos. There was a brief morning formation and drill. After church, we formed up for the noon battle. The morning went by rather quickly. The noon battle was also very nicely done. And Sunday’s weather was a lot more agreeable. I think is is safe to say that the caliber of the battles made up for the disorganization of the event and the initial bad weather.

As always, it was nice to get together with the guys, especially after an almost two month lay-off. All-in-all, it was a "not bad" event.

"The Capture of Harpers Ferry 1862" will include interpretation of the Battle of Harpers Ferry and the surrender of the Union garrison to southern forces under General Stonewall Jackson. The Stonewall Brigade, a volunteer living history group, will depict the soldiers that captured the garrison. We will join forces with our Jackson Division brethren to do our part in supporting the NPS at Harper’s Ferry. Please make sure your muskets are squared away. They will be inspected. Also, any round or caps should be placed in containers like we did at Cold Harbor. As far as I know, we may or may not have firing programs, so it would be better to have them in a zip-loc baggie or a sack. If the NPS decides on no firing, then you can leave them in your wagons.

On September 4, 1862, Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia splashed across the Potomac River into Maryland at White's Ford. During the next few days, Lee's veteran Confederates settled in around the town of Frederick. The first invasion of the North had begun.

With his invasion, Lee expected some 14,000 Federal troops garrisoning Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg to withdraw northward. In fact, Lee's plans depended upon it – the Confederates needed the Shenandoah Valley as their line of supply and communication while they campaigned north of the Potomac. The Federals, however, refused to withdraw, forcing Lee into a quandary.

The Union Garrison

Union Colonel Dixon S. Miles found a war-ravaged wasteland when he took command at Harpers Ferry in the spring of 1862. The Harpers Ferry Armory, which at its peak had produced 10,000 firearms a year, lay in ruins – burned by Confederate forces in 1861. The town's churches and mills had become hospitals; shops and residences had become barracks and stables. The prewar population of 3,000 had fled. Only 100 local inhabitants dared remain on the border between North and South. One soldier wrote that the blackened ruins of Harpers Ferry presented a "ghost of a former life," and that "the entire place is not actually worth $10."

But the military value of Harpers Ferry remained important. It served as a key base of supply for Union operations in the Shenandoah Valley, and served to protect the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal and Baltimore & Ohio Railroad – important Union transportation corridors. Altogether, Miles commanded 14,000 men at Harpers Ferry and Martinsburg in September 1862.

The Confederate Advance

Special Orders 191 anticipated splendid results. But could the mission be accomplished in the allotted three days? The operation appeared to be technically overwhelming: three separate columns marching circuitous routes, converging from three different directions, ascending three separate ridges divided by two rivers. There was heavy artillery to place, caissons to haul up steep ridges, with signal flags serving as the best means of communication.

One glance at Lee's veterans suggested that his Harpers Ferry mission was impossible. Short on food, destitute of clothing, and many shoeless from hundreds of miles of marching, Lee's ragged army appeared physically incapable of meeting the campaign's tight deadline. Nevertheless, on September 10, Lee bade his detached columns farewell as they left Frederick and pressed on toward Harpers Ferry.

Brigadier General John G. Walker commanded one wing of Jackson's three-pronged advance. Crossing the Potomac River at Noland's Ferry near Point of Rocks, Maryland, Walker advanced across the northern Virginia countryside to the eastern slope of Loudoun Heights. Colonel Miles had neglected to post any men or artillery on these heights, considering them to be well within the range of Federal gunners on nearby Maryland Heights. Walker, facing no Union opposition, moved a battery of artillery up onto Loudoun Heights and, on September 14, exchanged the first artillery fire with Union guns at Harpers Ferry.

Major General Lafayette McLaws commanded the second wing of the Confederate advance. McLaws understood the topography around Harpers Ferry well. At 1,448 feet, Maryland Heights was the highest ridge overlooking Harpers Ferry. "So long as Maryland Heights was occupied by the enemy," he wrote, "Harper's Ferry could never be occupied by us. If we gained possession of the heights, the town was no longer tenable to them."

McLaws ordered two infantry brigades to advance south along the crest of Elk Ridge – the northern extension of Maryland Heights. On September 13, these Confederates drove 4,600 Union defenders off the mountain despite "a most obstinate and determined resistance." One day later, McLaws opened fire on Harpers Ferry with four guns.

Major General "Stonewall" Jackson commanded the third Confederate wing himself. Advancing from Frederick to Boonsboro, Maryland, Jackson swept across western Maryland, crossed the Potomac River at Williamsport, captured Martinsburg, and came up behind Harpers Ferry – marching 51 miles in less than two days. Jackson's 14,000-man column occupied School House Ridge, sealing the trap on the surrounded Federal garrison.

A Serious Predicament

From his command post near Halltown, "Stonewall" Jackson methodically and deliberately positioned his cannons "to drive the enemy" into extinction. Indeed, Confederate artillery fire upon Harpers Ferry was effective and demoralizing. Colonel William H. Trimble of the 60th Ohio wrote that there was "not a place where you could lay the palm of your hand and say it was safe."

Realizing that artillery alone probably would not subdue the Union garrison, Jackson ordered General A.P. Hill to flank the Federal position on top of Bolivar Heights. Using School House Ridge for cover, Hill moved his forces toward the Shenandoah River, dragged and tugged five batteries up the river's steep bluffs, and succeeded in planting his artillery 1,000 yards from the exposed left flank of the Union position. Hill later wrote that "the fate of Harpers Ferry was sealed."

Louis Hull of the 60th Ohio agreed, writing in his diary on the evening of September 14th: "All seem to think that we will have to surrender or be cut to pieces."

A Daring Escape

The Cavalry column pressed on undetected toward Sharpsburg, captured a 91-wagon Confederate ammunition train near Williamsport, and eventually reached safety in Greencastle, Pennsylvania, on the morning of September 15. The column had rode 50 miles in 12 hours. Back at Harpers Ferry, however, the scene was not so bright.

The Union Surrender

On the morning of September 15, the Union commanders at Harpers Ferry held a council of war. Surrounded by a force twice the size of their own and out of long range artillery ammunition, the officers unanimously agreed to surrender. At around 9:00 a.m., white flags were raised by Union troops all along Bolivar Heights. Minutes later, a stray Confederate shell exploded directly behind Colonel Dixon Miles, mortally wounding the Union commander. Brigadier General Julius White, second in command, made the final arrangements for the Union surrender.

Jackson captured over 12,500 Union troops at Harpers Ferry – the largest single capture of Federal forces during the entire war. The Confederates also seized 13,000 arms and 47 pieces of artillery.

Directions to Harper’s Ferry:

Connect to the link below to see the full size map to assist in your directions.

October 15^th – 16^th

Schedule of Events- Cedar Creek:

Directions to Cedar Creek:

Fort Branch- November 4^th-6^th

I appreciate the attendance of those who were able to carry on for the Summer of ’62. The weather turned every direction accept what they were calling for. The Captain and Lieutenant’s reports, along with your own memories will help to fill in the blanks.

I will do my best in trying to make the final events of the season. As I’ve always stressed, family comes first. For over a year, as it appears in my case, that the job is what’s supposed to comes first, according to the world of "business". I didn’t read that in any handbook, manuals or directives, but nonetheless, that’s the way it’s become and I don’t like it at all.

I commend all who continue to support & carry our name onto the field. I deeply thank you for that. It’s always the men, not the one.