Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-11-23
SHAhPy8uR0 AND AS7YErAN.
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AT Shorpsburg. on the Shenandoah ran
road. four miles beyond shcpardsfownx W
stopped over day 10 view the b1ttie-nci
Of ADtietsm, writes correspondent OF ~
New York Erensng Post. A neat hui
station In the midst OF meadows and wncst
fields Is all one sees on aIignting. n'
town ~ mile away, and the brown rage
waIling In Antistam creek, on when w
battle mainly ragged, are a mile TURNER
Sharpsburg Is now village OF some i,,y'
iphabitants, rs quiet, demure, ana GU
fashioned as when, q hundred year
ago, the square, aggrcssiye-looking Drics
structures that line Its principal streets De
ran to be built, This main street begins
on one OF the ridges mentioned, dips GENT,
into hollow, and climbs much sleeper
hill on the east, throwing OF rs IL begins
the ascent a narrow road leading between
stone walls away 10 tho north. Following
this q mile, we come ont 10 acrossroad and
TO the little Bunker church planted In The
midst OF noble OAK forest-s0 marked Z
feature In the descriptions OF the battle,
The ouiI0ol, from 1t was OF the most peace.
ful and pastora! descnpiion-meadows and
gran.Gelds. substantial homes Of the farm
err, men driving the teams aieid. and the
white steepics OF the village.
Tho leadirg.lenet OF the Dunkers wa'
peace. good viii 10 men, but the irony OF
fate made their old church aud It's forest
one OF the bloodicSt scenes OF the field.
Here the troops Of Hooker, Sedgwick, and
sumner met the veterans OF Stonewall
Jackson and Hill. All day long the flames
OF battle smotc it, dead men lay about 1t,
shells shattered It. and round shot wrecked
The tine old trees. The venerable building
has been repaired-ii. indeed, one miy not
say rebuilt and shows no traces OF the
conflict. One cannot help feeling that il
should have remained a. shot and she'll left
II. A striking mementO OF the fight we
find. however, in the mighty oaks and
hickorics that overhang II. Nature has
been the only healer OF their wounds !;
hrgc oaks cut squareiy of twenty feet from
the ground, branches torn from the trunks,
len thousand scars In the bark OF the yete-
rams where bullets had entered, were mute
but effective witnesses OF the fierceness OF
the conflict. II is probable, however, that
the pilgrim OF year hence will find the
historic forest removed, and nothing left to
recall war memories. The wOOdman has
already begun on that portion OF it farihest
from the church, and l. fast converting It
into lumber and fre-wood. The forest
was once offered TO the Government, we
learned, Tor few hundred dollars, but no
thing was done toward securing 1t. and the
grand old trees went into hands that have
Only commeT( ial Use for them.
The old church was on the extreme left
Of Lees line OF battle. From this point
his line stretched along the west bank OF
Antietam creek TO within three f0urths OF
q mile OF It's junction with the Potomac -
distance OF nearly four miles. No ole
can 90 over the ground to-day without a
feeling CT respect for the military genius
that seized on it for defensive position.
This west bank IL a crcsccnt-shaped ridge,
presenting its cOncase side to the creek.
A succession OF hills and ravincs IA IN it,
lear, and n good road running parallel
with II to Sbarpsburg aud Shepardstown
allowed rapid massing OF troops and
an open iine OF retreat in case Of dts
aster. In ali the distance there were
hut two fOrds where The river could be
crossed-one at the extreme left the other
on the right. Between the fords were
three bridges. all strongly guarded. The
Union line occupied the opposite ridge
across the stream, which was dominated
by Lees position. AS we moved down
between these bills it was difficult TO be.
lieye that. barely twenty years before.
10000 men in fight had occupied them.
What is called the Stone Bridge. over
the Antietsm. about mile and hall
below the village. was the pivotal point
OF the battle. Here the Ninth corps,
under Burnside, was masscd. with orders
to carry the bridge, the latter being de-
Tended by the flower OF the rebel army un-
der Longstreet. The silence II the old
structure is only broken now by the rum.
bic OF farm-wagons or an occasional plea
sure vehicle; but there is 4 suspicious
greenness Of the grass at either abutment.
At least three distinct charges, as gallant a.
any OF the war, were made 10y the Eleventh
Connecticut, supported by Crooks bri-
gade, upon this bridge, and each time the
assaulting column was hurled back. At
length battery sweeping the further end
Of the bridge was got into position. and.
with the aid OF this, the Fiity-irst New
York and the Fifty first Pennsylvania
dashed across and planted the flag on the
opposite bank. gaining the first really de-
cidcd advantage of the day.
Returning 10 the village, one may well
inger an hour or two over its quaint iel-
lures and still more interesting Souvenirs
81 the battle. Growing the ridge on which
he village Is built is Il national cemetery OF
EN- acres, tastefuly laid ont, in which lie
I 900 soldiers OF the Union, chiehc those
" no fell about Antictam. One Of the most
imposing soldiers monuments we have
,vcr seen-cut ont OF Rhode Island gran
lie is feature OF the cemetery. and in the
keepers cottage one may see swords, guns,
shells. skulls. and other objects CLEANED
rom the battlefield. In the post-oflicc
We discovered more unique mementoes,
N sections OF wood split from the
rrnks OF trees which had been
pierced by minic.ball or cannOn-sh0t. \
black stain di>colored the wood about the
bullet. and in one or two eases the twenty
.wo successive layers OF growth deposited
since The ball had entered could be dis
inctly traced. The old Grove mansion,
now the principal tavern OF the village, was
n the battlc-day Inhabited by the propric-
or and his family. Here through the two
laws conflict StOnewsll jackson was quar-
cled, and here Lee and his generals Ire.
luenlly met Tor consultation. We had the
rood fortune TO meet Mr.. Grove. son
II the proprietor. an inmate OF the
house during the battle, and listened 10 bis
OF incidents connected with the
conflict. Seven shells struck the house, one
II which burst in the garnet, and later
very room was filled with wounded sol
licrS. Two anecdotes OF Jackson were re-
atcd that am sure have never been be-
lore published. "On the iirSt day. said
Mr.. Grove, "my sister sent him something
10 cat on the battlefield. Perhaps YOU
would like TO see the letter he wrote in ac-
lie handed me gilt
frame enclosing soiled, crumpled leaf.
evidently torn from a notebook. on which
was penclled in Struggling characters these
words:
SHARPSBUEG. September lG, lSG2-Miss
FairchIld.-I have received the nice break
last, for which | am indebted to your
kindness.
"Plea.e accept my grateful appreciation
of Your hospitality. Very sincerely yours,
~. j. JACKSON"
a message from the battlefield" OBJ
served the owner. (which, considering the
under which il was penned.
we consider one OF the most curious and
valuable documents Of the war.
"Wbile with us General Jackson was
lnable and courteous, and engaged in con-
,ersatOn with the ladies OF tie house.
one day my sister, thinking to find out
about his plans, said 'Gener,l
where are you going next lie
was looking over map, and replied with
another question: This road leads 10 la
gerslown, Decent il: this TO Shepards-
town. that TO Wiliamsport, and this to
lImpcr's Ferry:' 70 each OF which She
replied Yes lie made no further reply,
l,uf .outiuual looEin0 oSor his man -