September 12-15, 1862 - Units: 39th, 111th, 115th, 125th, 126th N.Y. Militia - 32nd, 60th, 87th Ohio - 9th Vermont - 65th Illinois - 1st, 3rd MD. Home Brigade - 8th N.Y. Cavalry - 12th Ill. Cavalry - 1st MD. Cavalry - 4 Batteries of Artillery Losses: Union - 80 killed, 120 wounded, 11,583 captured or missing Confederacy - 500 killed or wounded

Stonewall Jackson commanded the Confederate soldiers as they captured the Union garrison at Harper's Ferry Virginia (now West Virginia) with its 12,419 soldiers and a large body of supplies. Harper's Ferry is a small town at the confluence of the Potomac River and the Shenandoah River. It was virtually indefensible, dominated on all sides by higher ground. Lee planned to capture the Union garrison with its supply of rifles and ammunition. He sent 3 columns of troops to converge and attack from 3 directions. The largest column, under Jackson, was to recross the Potomac and circle around to the west of Harper's Ferry and attack it from that direction, while the other 2 columns, under command of Generals LaFayette McLaws and John G. Walker, were to capture Maryland Heights and Loudon Heights, commanding the town from the east and south. George McClellan, commander of the Union Army of the Potomac, in pursuit of Lee had wanted to add Harper's Ferry garrison to his field Army, but General-in-Chief Halleck had refused, saying the movement would be too difficult and that Miles had to defend himself until McClellan could relieve him. Miles insisted on keeping most of the troops near town instead of taking up positions on Maryland Heights. Once the detachment of 1,600 men had left on the Heights was driven back, he was hopelessly trapped by the Confederates on higher ground all around them. During the night of Sept. 14th Col. Benjamin "Grimes" Davis and Col. Amos Voss led their 1,200 Cavalrymen out of Harper's Ferry, evading McLaws, and capturing Longstreet's ammunition train along the way. Miles made no effort to follow them with the rest of the garrison. He hadn't been informed of a relief force sent by McClellan under Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin, so he felt his position was hopeless. The next morning, Sept. 15th, the Confederates bombarded the garrison from all sides and forced it to surrender. Miles was mortally wounded during the bombardment. At noon on the 15th, a courier reached Jackson with word from Lee: "Get your troops to Sharpsburg as quickly as possible." Jackson left A.P Hill at Harper's Ferry to manage the parole of Federal prisoners and began marching to join the Battle at Antietam.