Clearfield Republican. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1851-1937, 1861-07-31
Harpers Ferry-A View from the Ma
ryland Heights.

: about hali.past live o'clock IN the morn
} ing, After long and tedious clamberiug
= over rocks and among thick laurel busho
, cs, we reached the road the Kentuckians
? had constructed from the base OF Tie
mountain TO its top. 1t mast have occa.
stoned them immense labor. suppose
they employed slaves principally for that
purpose. II, however, the soldiers per,
formed that labor, it was very great.
it led first TO the camp occupied by the
Kentuckians, under Pltnton Duncan,
numbering VIXEN they retrealed only one
hundred and Linety men. Here VI found
twenty-siX small cabins, constructed of
small chestnut trees, slCping backwards
from the top, the front part beng about
twelve feet high, and the back part seven
or eight, Tins slope was given them iu
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, whist these even
/ il rooted would not have prevented the
entrance OF rain from all sides. Around
! them lay several thousand feet Of boards
! evidently intended for roofing purposes.
In some Of tEem rude unkewn pole
berths We're PUT up, so that two rows Of
sleepcrs could enjoy the luxury of open
quarters and al open sky. What must
have been the reflections Of these sons
Of Southern gentlemen" 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 Il
col |, shtverlng night, or felt the pitIless
driving o! heavy rain upon them? DID
they think of the homes they had left.
with all their comforts aud luXuries, to
fight against the flag their fathers had
borne gaIlantly upon many fields ?
Beyond and above this was a partially
constructed quadrangle of chestnut logs,
doubled upon each Other Underneath
the east side-the building being located
upon the the very crest of the mountain.
the ground suddenly sunk away. In this
depression they had commenced 10 build
u stone wall in the usual manner in which
rude stone fences are constructed in rural
districts. Upon these one battery either
had rested or was to rest. The sides of
the quadrangle had not reached any where
more than three feet. 1t had been alan
dOned before their retreat. The strang-
est part OF this WuOle cucampmvnt was
that thcy had no parade ground, there
being but sixty feet between the double
rows of cabins, and that not being cleared
more than 400 feet in length. They could
not have formed more than 3CO hundred
men iEto line, and not have man euvered
a company OF more than fifty. The sur
face was rough and uneven, and full of
stumpg, so that Il straight line in ranks
could NOT be presented. The drill mas
neuvers and parade must have been a
very amusing affair. Dogterry's muster
OF TIE night watch could not have been
more so.
Immediately south of this, and in
suaight line towards tho Ferry, there is a
depression in the ridge and 10y a neck the
heights aIe connected with what is called
by the mouutaineerS the Pinnacle. This
presents one of its sides to the Potomac,
where there is a most fearful precipice-a a
perpendicular of full three hundred feet,
beelllng, irowine, darker, grander than
any tcuddl keep. Along this neck the
kentuCkians ConstI ucted also an old
fashioned sloGkade, such as their fathers
were won't to repel Indian attlcks with
almost century ago. Thcs, are known
upon the restCrn frontier nowadays by
the name of blockade. 1t had thirteen
entrances upon the south side, was near
100 feet long. 1T consisted of hewn chest
nut posts squared with an axe upon their
edges, and drivcd into the ground like
spiles arc driven, being sharp at the low
er.point. Between every second of the
Joints WAS a loophole, which is an inden
tation IN each log dire city opposite the
other. Through this the gun is thrust
and the fire delivered upon an advancing
enemy. In the centre Of the stockade
poles were longer, and a platform was
erected at about the height OF eight feet.
Loop holes were also cut in these at TIE
height of about three feet.
! That 50 rude mode Of foriifcation
, should have been resorted 10 indicates
/ that but little engineering skill exists
among the southern forces, notwithstand.
ing their bcaoled Beaugegard and Whit
ing. Why, 1t must occur to the most or
dnaiv mind that hal ever seen gun fl
red, that six or twelve FOUNDER would
have knocked their high central sples
into thousauI spliEters, and sent the
uoper tier Of men kicking, jumping and
sprawlimg among their companions be-
low.
Goirg over this depressed piece of
ground we agaiu ascended until we reach
ed higher point upon the pinnacle upon
its west side Here we found about doz-
en- rude cabins, showing less architectural
skill than the others. This is called Low
cr Brad!eyyiIle. Nothing worthy of re
mark was presented at this point To
the eastward of this. and at the very crest
of the 'Piuuacle, was still another rude
encampment. The cabins in both we're
constructed with out any regard to militia
ry order. The large cabin a; the upper
poirt was the headquarters of B. /. john
son, Of Frederick city, Md, the Conieder'
ate commander of couple of companies
OF Marvlan secessionists. Ju above his
tent, upon a ledge Of rocks, stood the
flagstaff. The Confederate flag had dis
, appeared, however.
I'VE went further down the Pinnacle
{ and from a point which juts out 600 feet
into "airy nothingness," we looked upon
the whole scene vhere those stirring
= ayents of the last two months have been