The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1869-03-02

A TRIP THROUGH maryland AND
PENNSYLVANIA.
The Antietam Battle Ground-.A
Loving CoupIe-.-Thc Cumberland
VaIIey...A Union VIctory...HIs.
tOrICaI ReminIScence..-GOV
Geary..IThe PennsylVa.
mia Capitol.
To the Editor OF the Intelligencer.
AS the rushing train swiftly sped
over the rails, busy thought suggested
to my mind the idea of dropping you a
few lines. The scenery along the line
OF the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, be-
tween Wheeling and Baltimore, has
been so often described, and by SO
many ADLER pens than mine, that shall
refrain from any such attempt.
MY first stopping place was the ia
NOUS battle field of Antietam. The
scene of the battle itself is about three
miles south OF Keedysville, station
on the Washington county branch OF
the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. From
here we were conveyed in an ambu-
lance to the little village of Sharps-
burg, around which ragged so fiercely
the battle of the 18th September, 1862,
and in which some fifteen or twenty
thousand lives were sacrificed to the
Moloch of war. Just as you enter the
terry which the generosity and patriot
ism OF the loyal States represented In
the battle, have established as an APP
propriate resting place for the remains
Of the loyal dead. 1t comprises about
ten acres, beautifully laid out; the
ground plan being. that of a semi
ellipse, which is divided into sections,
segments OF circles and parallelograms,
separated into. divisions, occupied re-
spectivelY by the dead from each State.
A beautiful Lodge House stands near
the entrance to the grounds, from the
lofty tower OF which the lines occupied
by the contending armies on the mem
orable day of the battle may be traced,
and which stretched over an expanse
OF country five miles in length. On the
spot where the Cemetery is located,
(Which is on rise of ground over
OF Gen. Lees forces. To the left is the
heavy timber where the terrific fight
ing under Gen. Hooker occurred, and
where he was borne wounded from the
field. It was also on our right where
the gallant Sedgwick, his white hair
streaming on the wind, fell in the arms
OF victory, a liteless corpse. Here the
battle with varying fortune ragged until
dusk, when our men, who, several
times during the day, had taken the
woods, and as often been repulsed,
made final charge and held them.
To your right as you stand facing the
north, away off in the dim distance is
Burnside's Bridge, on which the left
line of our army rested during the bat
tie, and whore shot and she'll rained in
such n promiscuOus and deadly storm,
that the little Stone Bridge which here
spans the waters of Antletam was only
carried blythe resolute daring and per-
severing intrepidity OF our troops. The
rebels had greatly the advantage of our
men in that the latter were compelled
to fight their way up hill in the face of
constant and CALLING fire, which was
necessarily poured down on them from
above.
The bodies of about five thousand
Union soldiers are here Inferred. The
cemetery is surrounded by a solid stone
wall about five feet high on the inside,
but varying in height on the outside
from the latter elevation to ten and fit
teen feet, on account of the uneVenness
of the surrounding country. In the
front for over six hundred feet extends
an iron pallng fence, with beautiful
ornamental gateway also OF iron, about
twenty.fi feet in width.
Standing in the midst of the cemetery
the fading rays of the descending
sun shed his dying glOries over the
solemn place, lighting up in the dim
distance the far away South Mountain,
where Lee received his first check in the
invasion of Maryland, causing him to
retreat and fall back on the Antietam
and make his final and unsuccessful
stand, and halo we'd also as the spot
where the gallant Reno rendered up his
life as a sacrifice to his country.
It's mellow colors also painted in
vivid hues the continuous chain of the
Maryland Heights, memorable as being
the rendezvous of Old John Brown,
when making his preparations for his
raid on Harper's Ferry.
The following day l was off in tho
earlv morning for Hagerstown distant
thirteen miles by rail from KeedysviIle.
| Much amusement was furnished the
passengers in our car by the free and
easy conduct of couple who were on
their way to HagerstOwn to be spliced,
and who had chosen this early hour to
consummate their betrothal. With ten
der and touching affection the enrap-
tured swain would lay his Loving head
upon the willing shoulder OF his lass
and gaze into the depths of her languid
eyes with earnest devotedness whilst
she would insert her hand in the con-
venient muf to grasp the unresisting
digits of her lover at the magic touch OF
which his pouting lips would ever and
anon gracefully smack her blushing
countenance leading her in unaffected
simplicity to eXclaim-"Now quit, Bill"
In less than an hour we reached Ha-
gerstown where doubt not the twain
were made one and are now enjoying
the sweets of the honeymoon. Owing
to thelimited period Of my stay here 1
did not have the opportunity of In
speeding this worthy place which am
told abounds in hospitality and good
cheer.
Here took the train for Harrisburg
Pennsylvania, after a rest of an hour or
SO, on the Cumberland Valley road, and
sped through one of the richest and
most beautiful countries the sight
could rest upon. This is the same val
ley which stretching away off into Vir-
ginia is there styled the Shenandoah.
It's soil ia rich and very productive and
it's farms are large with substantial
buildings and good fences. In 1868
General J. E. B. Stuart made a raid
through the valley around McClel-
lan's Army and carried away large
quantity of stock and destroyed vast
amount of property. An anecdote is
related OF blacksmith who, during
the raid, deemed himself, or really was,
insulted by one OF Stuart's troopers.
Smarting under the real or supposed
rebel General in a belligerent attitude
and informed him of the circumstances,
| demanding at the same time that the
trooper should meet him in single COM
| bat with natures weapons, so that he
might obtain his revenge. According
to his request, General Stuart ordered
| that a ring should be formed and that
| fair play should bo extended to both
parties. Thereupon the recreant troop
luctance, put in his appearance. The
son of Vulcan, with evident pleasure,
threw aside his leathern apron, rolled
mn hia sleeves. displaying q brawDY