Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1861-06-21
HARPER's FERRY-A VIEW FROM
THE MAR LAND HEIGHTS

The MAR LAND HEIGHTS
l began the ascent Of the Maryland Heights
about half-past five o'clock in the morning.
After long and tedious clam bering over ROCKS
and among thick laurel bushes, we reached
the road the KentuckIans had constructed
from the base Of the mountain to its top. 1t
must have occasioned them immense labor /
suppose they employed slaves principally for
that purpose. If, however, the soldiers per-
formed that labor, IL was very great
1t led first to the camp occupied by the Ken
tuckians, under Blanton Duncan, Numbering
when they retrested only one hundred and
ninety men. Here we found twenty-six small
cabins, constructed Of small chestnut trees,
sloPing backwards from the top, the front part
being about twelve feet high, and the back
part seven or eight This slope was given
them in order to have them rooted cabin
fashion. They were the rudest structures
ever saw, save hunters lodges among the
Rocky Mountains, and these are built with an
eye to protection against all kinds Of weather
inclemencies whilst these even if rooted would
not have prevented the entrance of rain from
all sides. Around them lay several thousa nd
feet OF boards, evidently intended for roofing
purposes. In some of them rude unheyn pole
berths were put up, so that two rows Of Sleep
ers could enjoy the luxury of open quarters
and an open sky. What must have been the
reflections of ''these sons Of Southern gentle
men," as their friends called them, as they
lay In the top Of this bleak mountain upon
such beds, and looked out upon the starlight
during cold, shivering night, or felt the pitt
less driving Of heavy rain upon them? Did
they think Of the homes they had left, with all
their comforts and luxuries, to fight against
the flag their fathers had borne gallantly upon
many fields
Beyond and above this was partially con-
stTucted quadrangle Of chestnut logs, doubled
upon each other. Underneath the east side
the building being located upon the very crest
OF the mountain-the ground suddenly sunk
away In this depression they had commenced
10 build stone wall in the usual manner in
which rude stone fcuces are CONSTRUCTED in
rural districts. Upon these one battery either
had rested or was to rest. The sides of the
quadrangle had not reached anywhere more
than three feet. 1t had been abandoned be-
fore their retreat
The strangest part OF this whole encsmpment
was that they had no parade ground, there
being but sixty feet between the double rows
of cabins, and that net being cleared more
than 400 feet in length. They could not have
formed more than 300 men into line and not
have maneuvered a company of more than
fifty. The surface was rough and uneven, and
full Of stumps, 50 that a straight line in ranks
could not be presented. The drill maneuvers
and parade must have been q very amusing
affair. DOgberry'S muster Of the night watch
could not have been more 50.
Immediately south Of this, and in a straight
In the ridge, and by a neck the heights are
connected with what is called by the noun
taineers the Pinnacle. This presents one of
its sides to the Potomac, where there is a most
fearful precipice-a perpendicular of full 300
feet, beetling, frowning, darker, grander than
any feudal keep. Along this neck the Ken
tuckians constructed also an old fashioned
stockade, such as their fathers were wont to
repel Indian attacks with almost q century
ago. These are known upon the western from
tier nowadays by the name Of blockade. 1t
had thirteen entrances upon the south side,
was near 100 feet long. 1t consisted Of hewn
chesnut posts squared with an axe upon their
edges, and drived into the ground like spiles
are driven, being sharp at the lower point
between every second of the joints was a loop
hole, which is an indentation in each leg di-
Iectly opposite the other. Though this the
gun is thrust and the fire delivered upon an
advancing enemy. In the centre of the stock
sde poles were longer, and a platform was
erected at about the height Of eight feet.
Loop-holes were also cut in these at the height
Of about three feet.
That 30 rude q mode Of fortifcstion should
have been resorted to indicates that but little
engineering skill exists among the southern
forces, notwithstanding their boosted Beaure-
gard and Whiting. Why, il must occur to the
most ordinary mind that had ever seen gun
fred, that ak or twelve FOUNDER would have
knocked their high central spiles into q thou
61EQ spllnleLs, duQ sent the upper Ter OI men
kicking, jumping and sprawling among their
companions below.
Going over this depressed piece Of the crest,
we again ascended until we reached a higher
point upon the pinnacle upon its west side.
Here we found about dozen rude cabins, show
ing less architectural skill than the others
This is called Lower Bradleyville. Nothing
worthy Of remark was presented at this point.
To the eastward Of this, and at the very crest
Of the "Pinnacle,' y was still another rude en-
campment. The cabins in both were constrsc
ted without any regard to military order. The
large cabin at the upper point WAS the head
quarters Of B. I. johnson, of Frederick city,
Nd, the Confederate commander of couple
of companies Of Maryland seeessionists. Just
above his tent, upon a ledge Of rocks, stood
the flagstaff The Confederate flag had dis
appeared, however.
We went further down the Pinnacle, and
from q point which juts out 800 feet into ''airy
nothirgness," We looked upon the whole scene
where those stirring events of the last two
months have been transpiring-eventst to which
the nasspsp per press and the public have been
looking with such intense interest Before US
lay the great railroad bridge, a melancholy
ruin, the blackened beams, the piers Redeemed
with intense heat, the whole of the magnif-
Gently built workshops of the Government
buildings mass Of SCARED and smoking ashes,
with nothing but their massive walls remain
ing. Even the gates Of the outlet lock Of the
Chesapeake and Ohio Canal were swung from
their hinges in order that Navigation along
one Of the great commercial avenues Of Mary
land might be stopped, and she thus punished
for her loyalty TO the Union.
There, too, right in the bed Of the canal,
laid, in chArred masses, i've canal boats, taken
from private citizens who had honorsbly main
tanned their allegiance. These formed ft-
ting contrast to the destruction Of the long
tressel work Of the Baltimore road. The work
Of destruction was as complete as human ma
Hgnity could make it. Such Wholesale desc
latiOn will make the people of Western Mary
land and Northern Virginia more loyal than
they ever we're.
A few sentinels. almost invisible from their
lsrineSs, stslked loungingly alsng. Back ot
Bolivar, a suburb Of the town, upon the hight:
overlooking it, there were two camps In which
few troops still fingered. One ef these lsy
Immediately ever the Potomac; another lay
over about two miles within the radius Of q
circle, ard overlooking the country road pass
Ing by Halltown towards Martinsburg. Alto
gsther not over 900 men, judging Of their mum
Der by the eye, and the number eftents which