Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1868-08-15
For the Register
CHCAGo, llli1ois, :
July q, 1868. !


Dear Register. last was a letter
from Washington which place | left on
the afternoon Of the 7ih, bound for the
Monumental city, Baltimore. Leaving
the depot in Washington at o'clock, the
train was soon laundering along over the
even track oF county between Washing
ton and the Relay. lalIlng for mo-
men, at BisIcnsbgrg, the field Of blood,
as It is sometimes called, from the num-
Der OF fatal and Bloody Guels fought there.
which | could barely see, as the train
moved of, but lefI NE ample time 10 re-
fleet upon the motives which induced
brave men 10 meet here, and according to
the code OF honor, set themselves up ~
targets 10 be shot at and often killed, be-
cause the code Of honor, so.callcd, would
not allow peaceablo settlement OF the
little affair. Here Clay and Cilley met
and Randolph and Clay, Mason and Mo.
Carly, and many others who believed
their honor insulied, met here TO wipe
out the stain, but in the opinion Of hon
orablo men they generally succeeded in
stamping themselves with intamy, in
thus attempting to take the lives OF their
fellow men. Bladcnsburg, besides being
noted as the place where these bloody
encounters occurred, is also noted as the
place whore the American militia, in tie
war of 1912, ingloriously fed. leaving a
few Marines under Joshua Barney, and 0
handful of regulars, TO dispute the pass
ape OF the British on their way TO burn
the Capital Of the United States. Many
laughabIe stories arc told Of the fleeing
"mclish' on their relrca! towards the up
per country, some Of them are still fresh
in my memory, one Of which is that du-
ring the retreat the men threw away their
muskeIs, in fact every thing that as cal
cuIated to impede then progress, and that
one Of these heroes that was making good
time for the mountain districts, thought II
such a ply TO let the British get lhese
guns, and he began picking them up until
he had fourteen of those heavy muske,s,
carrying them along with him they only
weighed twelve pounds apiece-yet he
carried them 10 place Of safety, dis
lance of about IS miles.
Bu, We must leave Bladensburg, with
It's scenes Of blood, and continue on to-
ward Baltimore. Passing Annapolis
Junction, we observed merry party
plck-ncking it in the pleasant shady
grove along the railroad and as the sounds
Of music swee, was borne 10 Us along
wuh the gentle breeze, we thought Of the
many pleasant hours when We, with fly
ing feet, chased the heeting moments Of
day, away in.o the darkness OF night. As
the train was moving of, the dancers
were taking their position and the last Of
the merry party that heard was the
command Honor your partners
Flying along now with unusual TapldI'
,y, VIC soon reached the Relay, where We
stopped to take on passengers, when We
dashed on toward tie city with a seeming
recklessness in keeping with American
railroads, until the city limits were reach
ed when we slacbened our speed and
proceeded along leisvrc.y and in good or
der, until the tired, putting iron horse
stopped at The Camden street depot, reiu-
sing to pull Us farther. Dsembsrking a.
the depot, few minutes later found Us al
the Howard House where we had pleas
ant room, and after hssly toilet started
down Baltimore street 10 the house oi
Armstrong, Cater & Co, to pay them
some greenbscks for the firm OF RIckard
{; WeIshaus OF your town. About . +.
". heard martial music, and wondering
what was the cause Of it. soon learned
that some Of the citizen soldiery Of Bslil-
more had been down the Bay on an ex-
curslou and were returning home. They
CAV. us an evidence Of their soldierly
oualiiies IN the performance Of several
dlficul. evolutions. and doubtless should
MARYLAND ever need them to defend her
honor, they will ever be found ready 10
do or die as did the Maryland boys on the
plains of Manassas in 1861. For the
first time viewed The monument erected
by the city OF Baltimore TO the memory Of
Gen. Washington. Long and silently
looked At this pile OF marble, and as
read the inscription Of Washington re-
signing his commission as commander ol
tie American army at Annapolis, : con-