The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-03-26

little value; you may take it now if
you choose; but | beseech you, by all
the ties of kindred, if such you ac-
knowledge, have mercy upon my faith
er. He was wounded in the battle yes
terday; bore him so far on my back,
but my strength failed me, and | could
bear him no farther | was much ac
fectcd by this appeal; and STOPPING
down, looked anxiously to ascertain in
what plight the wounded man lay. He
was perfectly motionless Not mus
Gle quivered-not breath heaved his
chest; he was dead; and the state of
his skin, which was warm, and clammy
indicated, that life must have gone out
only few minutes ago. "My poor
fellow" said l, "your piety has, l fear,
been of little avail; but God forbid that
should do injury either to father or
a son under such circumstances. There
is but one duty now which you can
perform; 60 and perform it." So say
ing, dashed on, leaving the youth,
(for a mere youth he was,) at perfect
liberty to do with the corpse of his
parent what he chose.
/ have no recollection that any other
adventure worthy of record befell us
during the remainder of our march.
We pa sed, indeed, one or two houses
in addition to those already mentioned,
and it may be observed, that they were
all inhabited by German immigrants;
but nothing occurred, either there or
elsewhere, calculated to excite an in
terest at the time, or to make an i'm
preston upon the memory. Towards
four or five o'clock in the afternoon,
however, the face Of affairs underwent
change. We then began to perceive,
by thousand palpable signs, that we
were drawing near to the outskirts OF
large city; at all events, that we were
approaching more populous district
than any which we had yet passed.
The woods suddenly ceasing, We found
ourselves in the midst Of open corn
fields, and well-cleared meadows; hedge
rows and long lines of paling impeded
our progress; and farm-houses with
their barns, steadings, stack-yards, and
other offices, met us at almost every
step. There was no room for doubt
as to the cause of this change in the
aspect of external nature; Baltimore
could not be far off:-indeed we had not
proceeded above half mile through
this district, when our guides, pointing
to range of hills Immediately in our
front, informed us, that behind them
lay the city devoted by us to destruc.
ton. A moments survey of these hills
served, however, to convince us that
/
ance of our march would be required
to make the prize our own. The
heights in question were occupied by
an army of Americans; and such were
their numbers, as we'll as the formid
able nature of the preparations which
they had made for our reception, that
the least skilful amongst us became in
stantly aware, that some hard fighting
as well as judicious management, must
be displayed, before we could hope tc
force this position.
Few of my readers can be ignorant
that Baltimore, a city containing about
forty thousand inhabitants, stands upon
both banks of the Patapsco, about
twenty miles from the point where that
river falls into the Chesapeake. On
the right bank of the stream, that by
which we now approached, it is girded
in by a range Of hills, which beginning
at the edge of the water, sweep round
almost in circle about the town. TC
such, therefore, as advance upon it il
this direction, it is accordingly quite
invisible, till they gain the summit OF
the heights; and as we were not per
mitted to attain that eminence, it con
tinued invisible to us to the last. Tn
der such circumstances it is OF course
impossible for me to attempt any de
scriptiOn of its streets, squares or pub
lie buildings; all of which are, | doubt
not worthy of the most minute delinea
ton which the pen OF Il finished travel
ler could draw out; but can say some
ing of the defences, by means o
which this greatest of all The ports o
the Chesapeake was prOtected; and a
interesting to my readers, proceed tt
give it.
The approach to Baltimore by wa
ter, is defended 10y two forts, one ol
each bank Of the r.ver. The fort OF
the right bank, which mounts some
twenty guns, formed, on the present
occasion, the extreme left of the enc
my's position; which extended along
the face of the hills, directly across The
road. and ended at redoubt, thrown
up for the purpose, just where the hill:
bend back upon the town. In the cen
{ ire of these two covering redoubts
batteries, breastworks, i, fectcs, and tray
erses were thrown up; where time hal
not been granted for this, deep ditche:
were dug-and stakes and palisades
completed the iltrenchments, which
: mud banks and parapets had begun