In the evening when the fight was over a sad occurrence took place whereby the community lost one of its very best citizens. When the confederates had retired Mr. F. A. Roeder walked towards the railroad office and, while he was sauntering about, a shot was fired from the Maryland side of the Potomac, which inflicted a mortal wound on him, of which he died in half an hour. It is known that the bullet was discharged at Mr. Ambrose Cross who, also, was on the railroad at the time. The man who thus deprived the place of a valuable citizen was an old bummer belonging to a Pennsylvania regiment, who had straggled from his command in Pleasant Valley and had become drunk, celebrating the "glorious Fourth" at Sandy Hook. Hearing of the skirmish at Harper's Ferry, he staggered towards that place and arrived after the end of the fight, and, when the enemy had retired. Seeing Mr. Cross on the railroad he fired off his gun at him, swearing that he would kill some d-- rebel anyway. The shot missed the object at which it was directed and, striking the end of Fouke's hotel, it glanced and hit Mr. Roeder, who, unfortunately, happened to be then coming 'round the corner of that building. The bullet tore a ghastly hole in his groin through which his intestines protruded. He managed to reach his home unassisted--for there was scarcely an able-bodied man then at the place--when death soon released him from his sufferings. Little did the slayer know and little, perhaps, would he care if he knew--that the man he shot at--Mr. Cross--was one of the sternest Union men in the whole land and that his bullet proved fatal to one of the first men in the State of Virginia who dared to express sympathy with the Republican party. Mr. Roeder was a native of Saxony, but he had resided for many years at Harper's Ferry, where he was very much respected and where by industry he had accumulated a considerable property. He was very much opposed to slavery and his death, especially under the circumstances, was very much deplored. It is singular that the first man killed by John Brown's party was a negro and that the first who lost his life at Harper's Ferry at the hands of the union army was a warm friend to the government and one who would have sacrificed, if necessary, all the property he possessed to preserve the union of the states. Who knows what design an all-wise Providence had in permitting these mistakes, or what good purposes the death of these men may have subserved. Mr. Roeder appeared to have a presentiment of his fate. On the 14th of June, when the confederates retreated, he called the author of these pages into his house and invited him to partake of a cup of "Schnapps," for a similarity of tastes and sentiments on many subjects had bound them for several years in the closest friendship. When they were seated Mr. Roeder remarked: "Well, we have got rid of that lot and have escaped at least with our lives, but what will the next party that comes do with us?" He appeared