Interesting Letter from Major Marlay, of the 60th Ohio -- The 60th in a Trying Position -- The Surrender Caused by Want of Ammunition and Water.

[We are indebted to the kindness of Mrs. Marlay, for furnishing us the following extracts from a private letter of her husband, with permission to publish them for the benefit of our readers. -- Ed. News]

CAMP DOUGLAS, NEAR CHICAGO,
Sept. 29, 1862

Dear Wife: -- This is the first opportunity I have had to give you any account of the Harper's Ferry transactions. I will undertake it now, with the aid of a diagram which I send you.

Col. Trimble's brigade, consisting of four regiments, and Col. D'Utassy's, consisting of three, were stationed on Bolivar Heights, each with a battery of artillery. Col. Ford, with his regiment, the 32d Ohio, a Maryland regiment, one or two parts of regiments, and a battery, was posted on Maryland Heights, to hold the place and protect a battery of very heavy siege guns, planted there during the summer. The 87th Ohio and some other troops were stationed on Towa Hill.

Our entire strength was eleven or twelve thousand, including 2, 000 cavalry. With this force we had a line of five miles to defend, besides the troops sent to Maryland Heights. Such a force, stretched out on so long a line of defense, naturally weakened our defense in every direction (cavalry, in a siege of any kind, is of no use.)

The enemy's force, from what we could see, and learn from rebel officers after the surrender, numbered from 75, 000 to 100,000, and was posted as follows: Jackson, Ewell and Hill on our front, Longstreet on Maryland Heights and Lee on Loudon Heights.

On Saturday Longstreet attacked our forces on Maryland Heights, under Col. Ford. A severe engagement ensued, lasting two or three hours. In consequence of the 126th N. York giving way and scattering like a pack of cowards, as reported to me by Col. Ford himself, his regiment was very severely cut up, and had to fall back to battery No. 1, his main point of defense. Here he received orders from Col. Miles to spike his guns, throw them down the mountain and return to town, which he did. He told me that he besought Col. Miles, Saturday night, to let him have the 60th regiment and he would yet go back and retake the Heights, but Col. Miles refused.

The spiking of those guns on Saturday, and the withdrawal of our forces, we considered a virtual surrender of the place, and all that might follow was mere nonsense. The day we arrived there I remarked to Col. Hixson that we were in the wrong place. Maryland Heights was the true point of defense, because it commanded all others, but instead of being stationed there, we were placed at a point commanded by all others.

Saturday night all was quiet, but it was a night of terrible suspense, for we could see the rebels making signals to each other in all directions, from Loudon Heights and from all their lines in front of us. Every now and then they changed the motion and color of their flags, showing by these signals that they were drawing their lines closer in upon us and changing the position of their batteries. In fact by these signals distant points can communicate with each other as well as by telegraph. Our army has a signal corps, by which they communicate as far as they can see, and at night when they cannot see, they send up kites, rockets, and transparencies of different shapes and colors, every variation in form and color having some particular signification.

I staid up all that night, watching in all directions, for we expected a hot battle in the morning.

Sunday morning came, yet all was quiet but with the naked eye and by the aid of glasses we could see that the rebel lines were drawn in upon us, and very soon, to all appearances, we would be in deadly conflict. Time passed on until about 11 o'clock, when our Brigade Adjutant came riding up to me in great haste, (Col. Hixson being field officer of the day, left the regiment in my command) and stated they had information that the enemy was advancing rapidly and in force -- that I must take the 60th to the support of Rigby's battery. In a few moments the regiment was formed and moving rapidly to the place assigned it.

On arriving there, we went to work with picks, shovels and spades, to throw up rifle-pits, and here I will state that rifle-pits saved the lives of hundreds of our men during the fierce cannonading which followed. While engaged upon this work, the enemy opened upon us a battery in our rear and one in our front, but without injury to us or stopping our work.

During this time they were moving their infantry into and back of a strip of woods. After them was sent one regiment, with two parts of regiments, who engaged them and had a fierce conflict, which resulted in driving the enemy back. As they retreated in the deep dusk of the evening -- almost dark -- they looked like multitudes -- perfect swarms. This ended the conflict, Sunday night having closed in upon us.

All this day I had nothing to eat, except what father brought up to us after night, which consisted of hot coffee and hard crackers, for which we were very thankful to him. Arranging our pickets and seeing after our men, with various other duties, occupied our time till 11 o'clock, when Col. Trimble wanted me to ride down to town and see Gen. White. I got to his room at 12, found him just retiring; stated my business, which was to inquire about the protection of our left flank, from Winchester railroad to the Shenandoah river, and that portion of our front formerly protected by the 60th. He had protected these points as far as his force would admit.

We then had some conversation, from which I became more satisfied that he was of the opinion Harper's Ferry would soon have to surrender. We had but fifty rounds of long range artillery ammunition, and were out of water -- that is to say, we could not get to either of the rivers without coming into immediate range of the enemy's rifles. I returned with his answer to Col. Trimble, and then went with him to visit our lines from 'pike to river. Found all right, and returned to our regiment to endeavor to get what rest I could before morning, which was by lying down upon the ground and sleeping about an hour, when becoming cold, I got up and walked about until daylight. Being well convinced of what was coming, Col. Hixson, Adjutant Barrere and myself started to take our horses to some safe place, if any could be found. Just after we turned the brow of the hill, the enemy opened upon us from batteries Nos. 5, 7, 8, 9, and from Nos. 2 and 3. The two last did not reach our position -- the three first were new batteries planted during the night. -- These, with all the former ones, that had been playing upon us, were all directed at Rigby's battery, for this reason: They could not well assail Bolivar Heights at any other point, on account of the steep ascent. At this they could, as the ascent was gradual; and as Rigby's battery would be destructive to them, they must destroy it before the assault was attempted. Hence they directed upon it every cannon they could.

You can now imagine what our situation was, posted there to protect this battery, and in complete range of all the enemy's guns. It was here the benefit of the rifle pits was demonstrated, for our boys all got into them, and many a life was thereby saved.

I said we had started to get our horses into a safe place when the enemy opened upon us. I told Col. H. to take mine and I would go back to see after the regiment. I had to stop twice as I returned. So complete was the crossfire that there seemed to be no way to get through it, but by watching the change in the direction of their fire and taking advantage of it. I got back to the regiment without accident, and found it all safe with one exception. -- It was on his return from getting his horse away that Adjutant Barrere had his hand shot so that it had to be amputated. The ball that struck him passed through a tree 12 inches thick before it hit him. The whole face of the hill around Rigby's battery seemed to be covered with exploding shells and solid balls plowing up the ground, and it seems a very astonishing thing that our loss was not greater than it was.

This kind of firing was kept up untill half past 7, when Col. Miles appeared, and seeing how is was, called a council of Brigadiers and decided to surrender at once. He started along the brow of Bolivar Heights with a white flag in his hand. When he got about half-way to where we were, he was struck on the calf of his leg by a piece of a shell and mortally wounded. Col. Trimble then caught up the flag and on his horse carried it to Rigby's battery. The enemy seemed to cease firing for a moment, but only for a moment when they opened upon us with more fury than ever. During this firing Col. T. was very much exposed, and it was a wonder he escaped at all. Here after, an Orderly was sent forward with another flag, which he fastened to one of Rigby's guns, when the enemy seeing it, checked firing, though they did not stop altogether for an hour, but kept firing random shots, though without injury to us.

Recollect that all this time the rebels were not within gunshot of us, so that we had to remain quiet and be shot at by them without even the satisfaction of shooting back. Soon after the firing ceased, Gen. Hill came riding into camp in his shirt sleeves, and with Gen. White drew up the articles of capitulation, which were very liberal. -- Officers and soldiers were allowed to keep all personal property, which was more than we expected. Soon other officers came into camp, and finally rebel soldiers -- the most distressed and destitute-looking set of men I have ever seen. The South Carolinians and Georgians, officers and soldiers, were courteous and considerate of our feelings; but "Old Virginia officers" put on airs, and were a little insulting. Longstreet commenced passing from Maryland Heights with his forces about dark on Monday night, and it took him until next morning at daylight. His artillery train was said to be from five to six miles long.

We left Harper's Ferry Tuesday, about eleven o'clock. Our march from there to Annapolis you already have. -- We arrived here on Friday last, without accident, and are in better quarters than we have seen since we have been in the service. We will remain here until discharged, and then we may probably be sent down the river. There is not, I think, much probability of our being sent to the North west to fight Indians.

J. K. MARLAY

Marlay, J. K. "Surrender of Harper's Ferry" The Highland Weekly News: Hillsborough, Highland, County, Ohio; October 23, 1862.

This page belongs to
http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.com/~volker
Created:  22 Apr 2002
Modified:  
Copyright © 2001-2002, Jennifer Volker