Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1886-05-07

Douglas, who succeeded to the CON-
mand of Gen. Lawton's Georgia brig
ade; Brig-Gen. G. B. Anderson, of
North Carolina; Brig-Gen. L. OBJ.
Branch, of the same State, and many
others of the best blood of the South,
who were killed on this historic field,
and whose names are interviewer with
the thrilling story Of Antietam.
To repair the seeming neglect of the
government and the various States to
provide decent burial to those who per-
sheG at Antietam, the Legislature OF
Maryland at its session of 1864 chartered
the "Antietam National Cemetery"
This act, which was amended and re-
enacted at the succeeding session of
1865, provided for the purchase OF ten
acres of "a part OF the battle field of
Antietam" for IL burial place for the sol
diers who fell in that battle. Under the
act of incorporation it was provided that
the land occupied By the cemetery was
to be held by the State Of Maryland in
fee simple in trust for all the States that
should participate therein. The remains
of the soldiers of the Confederate army
were 20 be buried in portion OF the
grounds separate from that in which
the bodies of the soldiers OF the Union
army were to be inferred. TO carry out
this scheme the sum of $l5, 900 was ap-
proprated and expended in the purchase
of the ground and the decent burial OF
the bodies that were then "bleaching IN
the upturned burrows" of Washington
county. The cemetery is situated on
gentle elevation about half mile TO the
eastw ard OF Sharpsburg, on the keedys-
vile turnpike. From it may be had
view of nearly the entire battlefield,
with South Mountain in the background.
A short distance from the foot of the
cemetery grounds flows the Antietam
creek, from which the great battle takes
its name. The plan of the cemetery is
that of semi-ellipse, divided into seq
ments OF circles, sections and parallelo-
grams of varying size, according TO the
number OF the dead from different
States. Every division is marked by
letter, and the graves are numbered in
regular order. A main carriage drive
extends through the grounds, from
which run in every direction subordi-
nate roads and walks. The grounds are
beautifully kept, and near the entrance
stands lodge, which is occupied by the
keeper, and is also used for the comfort
OF visitors. In the centre of the ceme-
terry stands the colossal granite statue OF
an American soldier, twenty-one feet
and six inches high standing at parade
rest, with the cape of his overcoat
thrown back from his left shoulder. The
whole structure stands forty-four feet
and seven inches high, and is entirely
granite. The whole number of bodies
inferred in the cemetery was 1867, eX-
ceeding those inferred in Gettysburg
cemetery by JOB. Appropriations were
made by fourteen States, amounting to
s62, ,229 .27, but in violation of the char
ter the remains of the Confederate SOL
diers were not reinterred in the ceme-
terry, but were permitted to remain
where they had been hastily buried. In
many instances the trenches were so
washed by rain that their bones were
laid bare and were turned over by the
plow.
By the acts OF 1870 and 1874 the Leg
islature of Maryland appropriated the
sum of $4,000 for removing the Con-
federate dead from the battle-fields OF
Western Maryland and burying them in
portion of Rose Hill Cemetery, near
Hagerstown. The removals began In
September, 1872, and in short time
4 4,l6S bodies of Confederate soldiers were
disinterred and removed from the bat
tle-fields and re inferred in Rose Hill.
On February 2S, 1877. beautiful imon-
ument was erected, and upon the die
facing the cemetery is this inscription:
''The Sta;e of Maryland has provided
this cemetery and erected this mohn-
ment TO perpetuate the memory of the
Confederate dead who fell ia the battles
of kntietam and South Mountain" On
the right side is the following 1.-The
State of Virginia has contributed toward
the burial of her dead within this ceme-
terry" and the same is subscribed for
West Virginia.
In 1877 the National Cemetery at An
iietam was transferred TO the United
States government, and since then it has
been greatly improved. 1t is now sug-
yested, in view Of the aid which govern
ment has extended toward the purchase
of the Gettysburg battlefield, that ef-
forts be made to induce it to do the same
for the battlefield of Antietam, which
is eq qually Historic, If not more so, than
that of Gettysburg. If the government
can be induced to purchase the property
in the immediate neighborhood Of the
National Cemetery, it is proposed to
turn it into national park and mark
the important positions held by various
commands and where distinguished OFF,
GERS fell during the battle with memo
rial tablets or monuments. This plan
has been adopted at Gettysburg, where
the battlefield is now a magnificent
park, with every comfort and eonyen-
ience for the enjoyment Of tourists and
encampments.- Baltimore Sun.
She was young, she was green, she
was very new in Washington. Alta re-
cent swell affair she had gone with the