Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1875-04-17
AN1,ErAm BATTLE GROUND AN

ANT1ErAM BATTLE GROUND AND
CEMrrrRY.-A few days since in compa,.
ny with party of gentlemen, some OF
whom had never visited Antletam
Cemetery or the Battle Ground before,
we made a visit to that famous locality.
One of the gentlemen informed us that
it was his first visit to any battle HELD,
having preferred during the late eds.
custom to "sniff the battle from altar.
At this late day, now thirteen years
since the bloody strife wagad hot and
furious, it would seem that every yes
tige of the work of that 18th OF Sep
TENDER would have been obhtrated.
Yet there are many of the foot prints OF
the Demon of Slaughter still TO be found
and will continue to be found for years
to come. At the point Cd the turnpike
along which runs two of the fences tnat
were then in good condition, and which
were located between the two lines OF
fire, the Confederates in the ravine and
the Unions on the higher ground to the
east Of the pike, were obtained tve bull
lets all of which were embedded IN the
rails of the fences mentioned. Three
of them were from the Union side
(Which was indicated by their position),
and two from the Confeder ates. For
hundreds of feet along this pike in. the
vicinity of the small, but famous dunk
ard church." the fences from both sides
were riddled with bullet holes, there be-
ing in one PANEL of six rails no less
than nineteen pelforations and indenta-
tions, giving the best proof in the world
of the holiness of the firing. There
were originally many more holes than
there are at present, as visitors have cut
off and, in some instances carried away,
the rails. Of course there are many
trees with bullets in them, but the old
decayed trur., . DOT .!e;; "a IN one OF Inc
fields of Mr.. D. r. Miller is curios..y
in that line. How terrific that Ante
tam fight was no one can realize except
those who saw the slaughtered hun
dreds of young and stalwart men-men
whose deaths wrought in thousands OF
homes sorrows that still cling to them
and that will never take their flight
until the widows and orphans, the
father and mother, the brother and
sister, of the dead heroes shall, likewise,
be laid in their graves.
From the portion of the fields men.
toned our party moved to the beautiful
Antietam National Cemetery-that silent
"city of the dead"-where repose be-
meath the well-kept mounds the five
thousand "wearers Of the blue" who
gave their lives to their country, and
whose glorious and peaceful sleep shall
not be disturbed until the last great
bugle-call of the Resurrection shall
sound from the 'battlements OF Heaven
A stroll through the grounds exhibited
the care bestowed upon the sleeping
multitude, the walks being well kept
and the springing grass even and clean
". But we missed the famous land
mark, so we'll known 10 former visitors,
whether from the north or south-the
boulder, not far from the Lodge House,
known as "Lee's Rock" and upon
which during the battle he had occasion
to stand. 1t has been removed; broken
up and is kept by the keeper, MIR. Seiss,
to dispose of to visitors as relics. Just
why that rock was removed and by
whom we are not advised, but it is 10
be sincerely regretted that such is the
case, for both of the gentlemen of our
party from the north, one from Massa-
chusetts and the other from New York,
expressed themselvs to the effect that
they would rather have seen and stood
upon that rock than to see anything
else about the cemetery.--Hagersfo,cn
Tipice- .4-Week