n war correspondent in graphic
terms:

"Old Stonewall was the observed of all observers. He was dressed in the
coarsest kind of homespun, seedy, and dirty at that. He wore an old hat
which any Northern beggar would consider an insult to have offered him.
In his general appearance he was in no respect to be distinguished from
the mongrel barefoot crew who followed his fortunes. I had heard much of
the decayed appearance of rebel soldiers,--but such a looking crowd!
Ireland in her worst straits could present no parallel, and yet they
glory in their shame!"

Lee's army was now fifty miles north of Washington, within striking
distance of Baltimore. His strategy had completely puzzled the War
Department of the Federal Government. McClellan was equally puzzled.
Lincoln and his Cabinet believed Lee's movement into Maryland a feint to
draw the army from the defense of the Capital, and, when this was
accomplished, by a sudden swoop the Southern Commander would turn and
capture the city.

While McClellan was thus halting in tragic indecision one of the
unforeseen accidents of war occurred which put him in possession of
Lee's plan of campaign and should have led to the annihilation of the
Southern army. A copy of the order directing the movement of the
Confederates from Frederick, Maryland, was thrown to the ground by a
petulant officer to whom it was directed. It fell into the hands of a
Federal soldier who hurried to McClellan's headquarters with the fateful
document.

Jackson's corps had been sent on one of his famous "foot cavalry"
expeditions to sweep the Federal garrison from Martinsburg, surround and
capture Harper's Ferry. McClellan at once moved a division of his army
to crush the small command Lee had stationed at South Mountain to guard
Jackson's movement.

McClellan threw his men against this little division of the Confederates
and attempted to force his way to the relief of Harper's Ferry. The
battle raged with fury until nine o'clock at night. Their purpose
accomplished Lee withdrew them to his new position at Sharpsburg to
await the advent of Jackson.

The "foot cavalry" had surrounded Harper's Ferry, assaulted it at dawn
and in two hours the garrison surrendered. Thirteen thousand prisoners
with their rifles and seventy-three pieces of artillery fell into
Jackson's hands. Leaving General A. P. Hill to receive the final
surrender of the troops Jackson set out at once for Sharpsburg to join
his army with Lee