worked with stubborn courage, and showing a bold front to every fresh opponent, maintained the contest for an hour; but, even if ammunition had not failed them, they could not have long withstood the terrible fire which took them in front, in flank, and in reverse.* (* The ten guns which had been carried across the Shenandoah were specially effective.  Report of Colonel Crutchfield, Jackson’s chief of artillery.  O.R. volume 19 part 1 page 962.) Then, perceiving that the enemy’s guns were silenced, Hill ordered his batteries to cease fire, and threw forward his brigades against the ridge.  Staunch to the last, the Federal artillerymen ran their pieces forward, and opened on the Confederate infantry.  Once more the long line of Jackson’s guns crashed out in answer, and two batteries, galloping up to within four hundred yards of the ridge, poured in a destructive fire over the heads of their own troops.  Hill’s brigades, when the artillery duel recommenced, had halted at the foot of the slope.  Beyond, over the bare fields, the way was obstructed by felled timber, the lopped branches of which were closely interlaced, and above the abattis rose the line of breastworks.  But before the charge was sounded the Confederate gunners completed the work they had so well begun.  At 7.30 A.M. the white flag was hoisted, and with the loss of no more than 100 men Jackson had captured Harper’s Ferry with his artillery alone.

The general was near the church in the wood on the Charlestown road, and Colonel Douglas was sent forward to ascertain the enemy’s purpose.  “Near the top of the hill,” he writes, “I met General White (commanding the Federals), and told him my mission.  Just then General Hill came up from the direction of his line, and on his request I conducted them to General Jackson, whom I found sitting on his horse where I had left him.  He was not, as the Comte de Paris says, leaning against a tree asleep, but exceedingly wide-awake...The surrender was unconditional, and then General Jackson turned the matter over to General A.P.  Hill, who allowed General White the same liberal terms that Grant afterwards gave Lee at Appomattox.  The fruits of the surrender were 12,520 prisoners, 13,000 small arms, 73 pieces of artillery, and several hundred waggons.

“General Jackson, after a brief dispatch to General Lee announcing the capitulation, rode up to Bolivar and down into Harper’s Ferry.  The curiosity in the Union army to see him was so great that the soldiers lined the sides of the road.  Many of them uncovered as he passed, and he invariably returned the salute.  One man had an echo of response all about him when he said aloud:  “Boys, he’s not much for looks, but if we’d had him we wouldn’t have been caught in this trap.""* (* Battles and Leaders volume 2 pages 625 to 627.)

The completeness of the victory was marred by the escape of the Federal cavalry.  Under cover of the night 1200 horsemen, crossing the pontoon bridge, and passing swiftly up the towpath under the Maryland Heights, had ridden boldly beneath the muzzles of McLaws’ batteries, and, moving north-west, had struck out for Pennsylvania.  Yet the capture of Harper’s Ferry was a notable exploit, although Jackson seems to have looked upon it as a mere matter of course.