who, at the head of twenty-two men, had taken possession of the town and strove to excite the negroes of Virginia to insurrection. It has again repeatedly become a scene of commotion and conflict during this civil war. The Governor of Virginia was eager to possess himself of the arsenal and armory, and thus supply his secession allies with the means of carrying on the clustered about the base of a hill, but is gradually rising up its steep sides, and some scattered hamlets and houses have already reached the table-land on the summit, nearly four hundred feet above the water. The ridge on either side of the gap through which the Potomac, united with the Shenandoah, forces its way, rises in steep and bare cliffs to an elevation of twelve hundred feet or more, the simple grandeur of which, contrast-war against the United States, which he ing with the picturesque beauty of the contemplated. He accordingly sent April lesser and cultivated heights, gives to secret orders to Charlestown, the 18. the surrounding scenery of Harper's county seat of Jefferson, to muster a Ferry the the most impressive effect. force for the purpose of seizing the FedThomas Jefferson said that it was 66 one eral property at Harper's Ferry. Some of the most stupendous scenes in nature, three thousand men had been summoned, and well worth a voyage across the but only two hundred and fifty, in conAtlantic to witness." sequence of the suddenness of the call, mustered at Halltown, the rendezvous half way between the county town and Harper's Ferry, and about four milest from each place. Here they remained until night, that they might have the cover of darkness for their intended act of violence against the laws of the United States. The town contains a population of about ten thousand, and has become of considerable trading importance as the point of junction of the Baltimore and Ohio and the Winchester and Potomac railways. A bridge of nine hundred feet in length connects it with the opposite shore of Maryland. The main business of the place is manufacturing. It has one of the largest mills in the United States for grinding flour. Additional importance was given to the town by the establishment there of the Federal arsenal and armory. Ninety thousand stand of arms were ordinarily stored in the dépots, and the work-shops were capable of producing twenty-five thousand annually. The place had already acquired an unhappy association with our sectional quarrels, by the invasion of John Brown, The force having been formed, consisting of a small body of infantry, termed the Jefferson Battalion, commanded April by a Captain Allen, one piece of ar- 18. tillery, and a squad of "Fauquier" cavalry, under a Captain Ashby, marched, at about eight o'clock in the night of the very day on which the order had been received from Richmond. "The troops marched," says one who was with them, "in silence, and about a mile from the starting-point the column was challenged by sentries posted the report that the troops had fired the public buildings and retreated across the Potomac bridge, taking the mountain road toward Carlisle Barracks, in Pennsylvania. "On our way down we met a long line of men, women, and boys, carrying loads of muskets, bayonets, and other military equipments. The streets at the confluence of the two rivers were brilliantly illuminated by the flames from the old arsenal, which burned like a furnace. The inclosure around these buildings was covered with splintered glass, which had been blown out by the explosion of the powder-train. A few arm-boxes, open and empty, lay near the entrance; but nearly all the mus in the road. They halted, loaded with ball-cartridge, and advanced with fixed bayonets until they reached the brow of the hill overlooking the town and at the outskirts of the village of Bolivar. Here the advance was again challenged, and the column halted. As these sentries were known to be employes of the armories, and as it was thought probable from the temper manifested during the day that the whole body of workmen had united with the Government troops, thus giving them four hundred effective men, with full preparation and choice of position, it was thought proper to send a flag into the town to ascertain how matters stood. An influential gentleman accompanying the troops, of fered his services to execute this deli-kets in this building, fifteen thousand, as cate duty, and to dissuade the citizens, stated, were destroyed. if possible, from taking part in the contest. From after-knowledge it was ascertained that this precaution was unnecessary, as the mass of the inhabitants were loyal to the soil where they lived, and such as might have entertained different sentiments were silenced by the reports of the imposing force which was supposed to be at hand. "While the Virginia officers were in consultation, there was seen in the direction of the armory a flash, accompanied by a report like the discharge of a cannon, followed by a number of other flashes in quick succession, and then the sky and surrounding mountains were lighted with the steady glare of ascending flames. Captain Ashby, with his squad, immediately rode down into the town, and in a short time returned with "Of the armory buildings on Potomac Street, one large work-shop was in a light blaze, and two others on fire. Alarmed by the first explosions, the citizens hesitated to approach the workshops, and warned the Virginia troops not to do so, supposing them to be mined; but presently becoming reassured on that subject, they went to work with the engines, extinguished some of the fires, and prevented their extension to the town and railroad bridges." The plans of the secessionists had been anticipated and their designs thwarted by the Federal commander and his little force at Harper's Ferry. The Federal garrison consisted of a detachment of United States Rifles, amounting to about forty in number, BURNING OF HARPER'S FERRY ARSENAL. Jones. This officer had been notified Every 177 under the command of Lieutenant Roger men to work in making prepara- April tions for the destruction of the 17. public property, should it prove necessary. With swords the soldiers cut up the planks and other timber to supply wood for firing the buildings. The mattresses were ripped up, their contents emptied out, and then filled with powder. This was all done inside of the arsenals and armories, to conceal the purpose from the people of the town, whose loyalty was suspected, and who, if they should discover it, might rise and prevent it. The arms, some fifteen thousand stand, were now collected and piled together, and the chipped wood and mattresses filled with powder were so placed that the guns and the buildings might all be destroyed together in one common explosion and conflagration. On the next night, having received April "positive and reliable information 18. that twenty-five hundred or three thousand State troops would reach Harper's Ferry in two hours from Winchester, and that the troops from Halltown, increased to three hundred, were advancing, and even at that time-a few minutes after ten o'clock-within twenty minutes' march of the Ferry," Lieutenant Jones gave the order to apply the torch. The windows and doors of the buildings had been opened so that the flames could have free sway, and when all was ready, the fires were started in the carpenter's shop, and the trains leading to the powder ignited. This done, the Lieutenant marched out his men and began a rapid retreat. In three minutes after, the buildings of the arsenal Lieutenant Jones, conscious of the purpose of this movement, and unable, with his meagre garrison of forty men in a country believed to be hostile, to defend his post, determined to destroy the arsenal and armory, lest their important works and valuable supplies of arms should fall into the possession of those who were undoubtedly determined to use them in waging war against the Federal Government. Early in the evening of the 17th of April, accordingly, the Lieutenant set his and the carpenter's shop were in a "com-ceedings to the United States Governplete blaze." ment. His conduct met with the approbation of the President, who, in consideration of "his skilful and gallant conduct at Harper's Ferry," gave him the commission of assistant-quarter-master-general with the rank of captain, and sent to him through the secretary this flattering tribute: "WAR DEPARTMENT, WASHINGTON, April 22d, 1861. "LIEUTENANT ROGER JONES: } "MY DEAR SIR: I am directed by the President of the United States to communicate to you, and through you to the officers and men under your command at Harper's Ferry armory, the approbation of the Government of your and their judicious conduct there, and to tender to you and them the thanks of the Government for the same. "I am, sir, very respectfully, The fire alarmed the town, and its excited populace pursued Lieutenant Jones and his men, coming upon them just as they had reached the bridge, for the purpose of escaping across. The crowd pressed forward, crying vengeance upon them for having set fire to the buildings. Jones wheeled his men, and facing the multitude declared, unless they dispersed, he would fire upon them. The intimidated throng shrunk back, and Jones took the occasion to continue his retreat and take to the woods, followed, however, by several shots, which fortunately were without effect. He now hurried northward, his way being lighted up by the blazing buildings. The explosion took place almost as soon as he got beyond the town, and he flattered himself that the destruction of the arsenal and armory had been complete. Hurriedly marching all night across streams and bogs, he reached HagersApril town in safety on the next morn19. ing, at seven o'clock, and thence pursued his way to Chambersburg, instruction of public property in Virginia. Pennsylvania, where, confident of being It will be recollected that Governor among a loyal people, he could stop to Letcher had already ordered the main refresh his wayworn men, who had entrance of the harbor of Norfolk to be marched all night and eaten nothing obstructed by the sinking of small boats. since they left Harper's Ferry. Four Seven vessels had been sunk at the mouth of the Elizabeth River, the only channel of communication between the sea and the Gosport navy-yard. The obvious object of this was to hem in that important naval station, so that by preventing the egress of the United States vessels there, or the ingress of of his little garrison, however, were missing, and it was feared that they had been captured, or perhaps slain. From Chambersburg Lieutenant Jones proceeded with his men to Carlisle BarApril racks, a Federal post, whence he 20. dispatched a report of his pro "SIMON CAMERON, "Secretary of War." This was soon followed by another more important, but less justifiable de THE NORFOLK NAVY YARD. any force that might be sent to their aid, the navy-yard with its ships and its stores should be at the mercy of the State of Virginia. The dispatch which announced the execution of the Governor's order exultingly declared: "Thus have we secured for Virginia three of the best ships of the navy," alluding to the Cumberland, Merrimac, and Pennsylvania, then among the vessels in the Gosport navy-yard at Norfolk. The inhabitants had, moreover, shown their hostile intentions by seizing the United April States magazine, situated below the city, and containing four thousand kegs of powder. The navy-yard was in command of Commodore Charles S. Macaulay, a veteran naval officer. The establishment, one of the largest in the United States, contained not only stores of naval and military munitions of war and ships, but arsenals, foundries, workshops, and docks a mass of public property which had cost the United States over fifty millions of dollars. There were twelve vessels of war stationed at the yard, with an aggregate tonnage of about thirty-five thousand tons, and an armament of six hundred and fifty guns. These were the Pennsylvania, a sailing vessel, the largest lineof-battle-ship ever built in the United States. Her tonnage was three thousand three hundred and forty-one tons, and she was built to carry a hundred and twenty guns, to work which and the ship would have required a crew of a thousand men. Built in 1837, at Philadelphia, she remained there as the 179 wonder of all sight-seers, until she sailed to Norfolk, many years after, where she has remained a useless hulk, too unwieldy and too expensive for service. The Delaware, also a sailing line-ofbattle-ship, was of two thousand six hundred and thirty-three tons, carrying an armament of eighty-four guns, and a crew of eight hundred men. She, however, was rotten, and had been long condemned as unfit for service. The Columbus, a line-of-battle-ship, of two thousand four hundred and eighty tons burthen, and rated for eighty guns and eight hundred men, was also useless as a sailing vessel, but was thought capable of being converted into a steamer. The Raritan, a frigate of one thousand seven hundred and twenty-six tons, and fifty guns, was another vessel which had been condemned as unfit for service. The Plymouth, a first-class sloop-ofwar, of nine hundred and eighty-nine tons, and twenty-two guns, was undergoing repairs, and was a vessel of little value. There was the New York, the keel of which was laid forty-five years ago, still on the stocks, and was hardly thought to be available. To these vessels of little value, may be added the old United States, built in 1797. There were, however, the four sailing ships, the fine frigate Cumberland, the Germantown, the Columbia, and the brig Dolphin, which were for the most part in good condition and capable of the best service. In addition was the first-class steam frigate the Merrimac, |