Battle of Harpers Ferry
The Battle of Harpers Ferry was a significant conflict during the American Civil War, occurring at a key location due to its federal armory and strategic position. In September 1862, Confederate General Stonewall Jackson led an assault on the town, which resulted in the largest surrender of Union troops in the war when General Julius White capitulated, yielding over 12,500 soldiers and valuable military supplies. Harpers Ferry changed hands multiple times throughout the conflict, reflecting the intense struggle between Union and Confederate forces in the region. The town's armory was devastated during this period, underscoring the broader impact of the war on local communities. The battle also highlighted the strategic importance of Harpers Ferry, as it provided critical transportation links and was near the Union capital, Washington, D.C. The ongoing control of Harpers Ferry symbolized the chaos and challenges of warfare, as it was fought over numerous times, with both sides recognizing its military value. As such, the battle played a crucial role in the shifting dynamics of the Civil War, illustrating the intense conflicts over territory and resources.
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Battle of Harpers Ferry
Type of action: Ground battle in the American Civil War
Date: September 13-15, 1862
Location: Harpers Ferry, Virginia (later West Virginia)
Combatants: 13,000 Union vs. 23,000 Confederate forces
Principal commanders:Union, Colonel Dixon S. Miles (d. 1862), General Julius White (1816–1890); Confederate, General Stonewall Jackson (1824–1863)
Result: General White surrendered the town, armory, and Union troops to General Jackson’s superior Confederate forces
Shortly after the start of the American Civil War, Confederate troops under Stonewall Jackson invaded Harpers Ferry, the site of a federal armory. Union Lieutenant Catesby ap Roger Jones, lacking support from local militia, who were sympathetic to the secessionists, retreated northward and left burning buildings to the Confederates. The surviving weapons and machinery were taken south to Richmond. The next four years of Civil War devastated the armory and town, which shifted form Confederate to Union control and back again at least eleven times.
The most important battle over Harpers Ferry occurred in September, 1862, during General Robert E. Lee’s first invasion of the North. General Jackson surrounded the town, forcing Union general Julius White to surrender the armory’s weapons and supplies, along with 12,520 Union soldiers, the largest surrender of Union troops during the entire war. Union colonel Dixon S. Miles died in the fighting. General George B. McClellan eventually retook Harpers Ferry, but the Confederates reaped the reward of 13,000 small arms and seventy-three cannons. The various battles over Harpers Ferry, with its transportation links destroyed and reconstructed nine times, came to symbolize the irrationality of war.
Significance
Harpers Ferry remained a vitally important objective for both sides throughout the American Civil War. The Confederates, short of arms, needed it, and the Union, aware of its strategic position at the tip of the Shenandoah Valley and near Washington, wanted to control it.
Bibliography
Hearn, Chester G. Six Years of Hell: Harpers Ferry During the Civil War. Baton Rouge: Louisiana State University Press, 1996.
Smith, Merritt Roe. Harpers Ferry Armory and the New Technology: The Challenge of Change. Ithaca, N.Y.: Cornell University Press, 1977.