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October 6, 1862 – President Lincoln at South Mountain

Remarks of the President.

Frederick. Md., Oct. 4.

President Lincoln,Gen. McClellan and others left Gen. McClellan’s head quarters at ten o’clock to-day and visited the battlefield of South Mountain. Gen. McClellan and staff then took leave of the President, who arrived here at five P. M. He was enthusiastically welcomed and spoke a few word to the assembled multitude. He merely made a call upon the wounded Gen. Hartsuff, who is receiving attention at the residence of Mrs. Ramsey and son, and soon afterwards left for Washington amid the cheering of the throng of citizens and soldiers, to whom he returned thanks briefly, saying:

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October 4, 1862 – Movements on the Upper Potomac

Harper’s Ferry, Oct. 3.—The railroad bridge was completed yesterday, and trains of cars passed over it into Harper’s Ferry to-day, with troops and munitions of war and army stores. The Winchester road is being put in order, and trains will run at once to and beyond Bolivar Heights.

There is much uncertainty here as to the movements of the army. A strong advance will undoubtedly be made into Virginia, but whether it will be by way of Harper’s Ferry or over the Williamsport Ford, no one has the slightest idea. So long as the Confederates lies in his present position it is said no hurry will be evinced on our part to disturb him.—A large body of the Confederates are still at Failing Waters, and at Bunker’s Hill in the rear of Martinsburg, whilst a few regiments are at Charlestown, their pickets meeting those of Genera! Sumner about three miles this side of that place.

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September 20, 1862 – Surrender of Harper’s Ferry

How the Disaster Occurred.

The surrender of Harper’s Ferry surprised everybody when it was announced. It was not easy to understand how it had become necessary. Col. Miles had under his command about 13,000 men, including the cavalry that escaped. He had all the artillery necessary to a successful defence of the position, including fifty pieces of field artillery, besides all the heavy guns in the various batteries on the Heights. There was no lack of ammunition or stores, and the place should have been held against double the force that was brought against it. The batteries on Maryland Heights were finely placed and very powerful. This was the key to the position, and a capable and determined officer would have held it success fully without serious difficulty.

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September 18, 1862 – McClellan Gains a Glorious Victory

Our advices from Maryland are of the highest importance. They show that the rebel army it retreating from that State much more expeditiously than they came into it, and that they are not making their escape unscathed. Gen. Burnside passed through Frederick on Saturday morning, and the whole National army pushed on after the retreating enemy by every available road, and even crossed the fields. The reception of Gen. Burnside in Frederick was a perfect ovation, the people turning out with the wildest enthusiasm ; and when Gen. McClellan entered the place, the streets and sidewalks were perfectly blocked with the enthusiastic masses, including a large proportion of ladies. The firing heard on Friday was an artillery duel between Gen. Pleasanton and the rear guard of the rebels, who were so hard pushed that they were forced to fall back to Middletown, from which place they were also driven in the afternoon. On Saturday our cavalry had two affairs with the enemy, and so pushed them that they were forced to burn half a mile of their wagon trains. This, in addition to a train of a hundred ammunition and subsistence wagons, captured by Gen. Franklin, will prove quite a serious loss tor the rebels. Our troops were in fine spirits, and much elated at the cordial reception extended to them by the people of Maryland. All danger of an invasion of Pennsylvania may now be considered past, as the rebels will no doubt have enough to do to escape the death they have courted. Gov. Curtin, however, does not relax his preparations, but is determined to put the State upon a thorough war footing.

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September 16, 1862 – An Officer’s Account of the Recent Battle

DEATH OF GENERAL RENO.

Washington, Sept. 15.

An officer slightly wounded in the battle yesterday, who arrived here late to-day, represented that the fight took place three or four miles from Middletown, Frederick county, at the foot of the first mountain going west. The enemy were strongly posted there, but our men, with the most determined courage, drove them up the mountain, through a strip of woods, cornfields and open ground. The rebels made occasional stands behind walls and fences, but were driven thence to the top of the mountain and over into the valley, where, it being now night, our troops were called from further pursuit. Not one of our men faltered. This part of the contest was maintained by our troops of the centre. Two colonels were among the rebel slain found on the field this morning.

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September 11, 1862 – The War on the Potomac

A dispatch received from Greencastle, Pa., eleven miles from Hagerstown states that much excitement prevailed there last night on account of the reports of an advance of the Confederates on the last named place. They are said to be moving by way of Cavetown, seven miles east, but up to 5 P. M. there were no signs of them in the vicinity of the town.—Another dispatch from Harrisburg confirms this statement. Considerable alarm was occasioned at Harrisburg last night by the supposition that the Confederates had reached some point on the Northern Central railroad, as the operatives had detected an expression indicating that the telegraph had been tampered with. A still later dispatch states that the Confederates had not entered Hagerstown at 6 P. M. The Northern Central railroad was still unmolested at midnight. Gen. Wool has been assigned to the command of all the troops north of the Susquehanna.