|
|
Article: Harpers Ferry, Capture of
- Article from:
- Dictionary of American History
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2003 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
HARPERS FERRY, CAPTURE OF
HARPERS FERRY, CAPTURE OF.
On 9 September 1862, in Frederick, Maryland, General Robert E. Lee issued his famous "lost order." To clear the enemy from his rear, Lee directed General Thomas J. ("Stonewall") Jackson to capture the garrison at Harpers Ferry, Virginia (now West Virginia), and then hurry northward to rejoin the main army. The combined forces would then move through Hagerstown into Pennsylvania. But the "lost order" had come into the Union general George B. McClellan's possession. The defenders of Harpers Ferry ...