On the 14th of June the insurgents blew up the railroad bridge, burned the main armory buildings and retreated up the valley, taking with them as prisoners, Edmond H. Chambers, Hezekiah Roderick, Nathaniel O. Allison and Adam Ruhlman, four prominent citizens of Harper's Ferry, whom they lodged in jail at Winchester on the charge of inveterate unionism. From the first, preparations had been made for the destruction of the railroad bridge under the superintendence of competent engineers and, early in the morning of the day above named, the town was alarmed at hearing a loud explosion and seeing the debris of the destroyed bridge flying high in the air. The noise was apparently the signal for the march or retreat of the confederates up the valley, for instantly their columns set out in that direction leaving, however, the most dangerous of their forces--that is the most dangerous to civilians, to loiter in the rear and pick up whatever was unprotected and portable. Fortunately, however, they soon quarreled among themselves and, as usual, when bad people fall out, the honest are the gainers. Toward night the marauders were gathered up by a guard sent back for them and they vacated the place, leaving one of their number murdered by his fellows. After the retreat of the confederates a dead calm reigned for a few days and the stillness was rendered oppressive by contrast with the former bustle and confusion. On the 28th of June a force, composed of some Baltimoreans and a part of the 2nd Mississippi regiment, under the command of Colonel Faulkner of the latter, made its appearance in the early morning hours and destroyed with fire the rifle factory and the Shenandoah bridge, as also engine No. 165 and some cars of the Baltimore and Ohio railroad company which they pushed on the ruins of the bridge destroyed on the 14th, until they fell through into the Potomac. Again, on the retreat of this force, did a silence deep as that of an Arabian desert brood over the place, broken only by the stealthy step of some petty thief engaged in picking up stray articles belonging to the army or to the citizens who had fled in every direction, and almost completely deserted the town as soon as the confederates had pushed far enough up the valley to leave the roads comparatively safe. It is to be noted that the confederates had outposts in Maryland and that they refused permission to depart in any direction to any one of whose loyalty to them they had any doubt. On their retreat the way to the north was open to all whose inclinations led them in that direction and very many availed themselves at once of the opportunity to escape offered by the retreat of the rebels.