The National tribune., 1886-11-18
ANTIETAM DAYS.
A Picture of the Struggle In Mary
land.
From Katy Of C1toctin: or The Chain Breakers
Ru Gcnrne Alfred Tntnne1nd

\ insurgent army into Maryland and Pennsyl
vania should have been one OF the LOgans-tht
mountain slaye-catchers. They knew all tn,
| byroads, and, il the invasion had succeeded
/ the bloodhound would have been tho mex
guide, chasing up fugitive slaves.
The issues TO be settled under the South
| Mountain and by the Antietam mill-stream
were the same determined by Charles Martel
on the plains of Europe-whether women
should have souls and Christians liberty
The defeat Of the Army Of the Potomac there
might have made slavery the dictator of al
future American law and policy; it would next
have compelled Canada aud Mexico to remand
fugitive slaves aud the slave trade would have
been opened with Africa and Polynesia, and
| Europe forced 10 consent or fight; for men who
would attack the United States in the proper.
tion Of one 10 three. would not hesitate TO at.
tack any State in Europe; and, in fact, the edu.
cation Of slavery had made the fercest white
race on the globe since Mohammed and his ca.
liphs-a democracy practicing slaye-driving had
all the energy Of a popular society with all the
| bigotry of Orientslism. The fatalist Presbyte-
rian, to whom was consigned the capture OF
liarpers Ferry, as the principal result of the
invasion of Maryland. would have been no un-
welcome general to Abderrahman or Kara Mus
tapha.
There, under the faulty Of belief that the
old mountain hole was important, the Govern.
insurgents also felt annoyed to leave this hol-
low post in their rear; and, turning TO take it,
they lost the great battle Of Antietam, and also
learned that their remaining sympsthizers in
Maryland did not enlist for open war.
Lloyd Quantrell, like many one returned to
his native State kissed the ground. and heard
the bands play Maryland" and read the proc
lamation of the heir-at-law of Washington that
" freedom Of the press has been suppressed ";
and next, Lloyd saw the Union newspaper Office
at Frederick destroyed. The more honest proc
lamation was that of the Maryland rebel Brig
adler: Come, all who wish 10 strike for their
liberties, and each man provide himself with a
pair of shoes, good blanket, and a tin cup"
The mountain counties had too few slaves 10
be interested in an otherwise causeleSs rebel
lions The false prophet lost nearly AS many
by desertiOn as he took at Harpers Ferry.
There an officer with great consideration for
slavery was in command, and at the head Of the
Government army was another who had rather
instruct his President on the enOrmity of free
dom than go and strike the invader and follow
him home.
Stonewall Jackson was the John Brown of his
cause, and. like Brown, sat down in Harper's
Ferry and paroled his prisoners; and the war
was 10 continue till every influential officer and
civil ruler Of the two sides became fashioned to
their likeness Union man had TO hate
slavery, and disunionist TO fear freedom
Stanton was the one great Unionst with the
intensity Of the sccesSiOnists themselves; they
saw him and hated their own likeness
Quantrell served as the staf-oiiicer of great
stakeholder from Georgia, who had seen his
political party break up and the Republican
party prevail, rather than let his rival, the OPP
ponent of President Lincoln, receive the DEM
ocratic party's leadership. Jealousy, COM
mencing in the party, had been the widening
avenue TO treason. This able man. who had
handled the finances OF his whole country, now
found himself defending Champions Gap, one
of two depressions in the long South Mountain
wall, and as the Government troops stretched
across the Catoctin Valley 90 carry the pass,
something in their numbers and deliberations
awed his heart Quantrell was sent along the
mountain crest 10 solicit reinforcements from
the greater insurgent wing which held the pass
Of the old National road. some miles D0rthward.
Suddenly he heard the strains of a band of
music swell up from the plain behind him. TO
the air of a Maryland poet Of other days:
"Oh thus he il ever when sreemen shall stand
Between their loved homes and the wars desc
Blest with victory and peace, may the Heaven
rescued land
Praise The power that hath made and preserved
Then conquer must. when our cause II is just,
Aud this be our motto Ia God is our trust
And the Star-Spangled Banner in triumph shall
Der the land OF the free and the home Of the
brave"
Lloyd's eyes filed with tears as he heard this
tender music-plaintive. hopeful and trustful;
like Tie DeHm, threatening none, execrating
none, resting upon the spirit of Heaven in the
hearts Of the young aud devoted.
"Why can we not play that piece?" said he.
" know II is never played in our camps; but
why notY Have we lost our State our fiag our
music too? What have we got in reiurn?"
As he dried his eyes and looked at his shoes,
half unsOled, and his garments and skin dirty,
aud himself come back, like gypsy tramp, TO
the mountains Of his childhood, he heard the
flies and drums in Crampton's Gap playing the
old, monotonous drunken-student tune, like a
Roundhead drawl sung through the nose TO in
sidious suggestions, 10 the words
Better the fire upon thee roll.
Better the blade, the shot, the bowl,
Than crucifixion oi the soul
Marylandl my MarylandP
mice present for Maryland from her friends"
Lloyd reflected" the torch, the dirk knife.
the assassin's shot and a bowl either of poison
or turpcntine whisky"
He drank of the good rye he had purloned
at one OF the distileries in Catoctin Valley the
capture OF which had appeared yesterday to be
the political motive of the whole war
Suddenly he thought of the Sunday evening
when he had left Katy, near Crampt0n's Gap,
and the mysterious music of fife and drum had
followed her retreating wheels
"Oh prophecy of this desolatiOn !" Quantrell
cried, was II | who brought this war upon my
country Did my coming to these mountains
bring ruin 10 a single heart or shame 10 any
hearthr God help me! What will tomorrow
bring them, when every fife screams hate and
every drum beats kill'2"
lie had stumbled along the mountain table,
when he found himself at the edge of rock
parapet, and identified the spot as that where
he had met Isaac Smith and sons under their
assumed names the day he shot the dove.
Looking out upon the rival valleys. Lloyd
recognized his hunting park, somewhat as he
had desired il that day when he said:
" wOnld clean out the whole region like q
Norman King; all the wild beasts should re-
turn again-none but native American beasts,
you bet ~
Every beast WAS here; every hamlet had be-
come its lair and from the North Mountain,
more than 20 miles away, 10 Hagerstown and
the Pennsylvania wales stretched the uncOled
instruction, with one fold only around Har-
pers Ferry, and the fiat head, like the sluggish
copperhead snakes, kissing at baltimore. where
lay the Government feet TO raze that city if il
sought 10 rise and destroy itself
The mild, wistful eyes Of Abraham Lincoln
whose life would pay the price of his devotion
If his army failed, looked out from Washington
city-his enemy far in his rear aud hardly a
days march from his persOn--and he knelt in
.he agony of his responsibility 10 the God he
had sometimes doubted, and promised if the
battle were favorable 10 proclaim slavery the
Nations outlaw.
As ii Heaven had taken the President at his
word. the army charged the South Mountain