Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1899-12-22
OLD DAYS RECALLED.
A VERMONT VETERAN REviSiTS HAIR
PER'S FERRY.


Comrade w. II. Sanderson, Now of Cleve-
land, Retells the story of the Capture
of the 9th Vermont Volunteers and
Goes Over the Ground of the Surrender.
To revisit the familiar scenes of the
experiences of life. And especially to
the old soldier, who having borne the
brunt of battle and endured the hard
ships of the campaign, visits again the
scenes of conflict. My mind at this mo-
ment is carried back to old Middlebury,
where in the early summer of 1862 the
Addison county company was being as
sembled to form a part of the 9th YER
mont volunteers. The history Of the
succeeding weeks and months is familiar
to every survivor of that organization.
Among the most prominent incidents
of its history, is their first engagement
at the siege and surrender of Harper's
Ferry, Va in September, 1862. And it
has always been my desire to once more
go over the ground which became, dur
ing the war of rebellion, so replete with
scented itself until recently. So now, in
company with some of the old comrade
readers OF the! REGISTER, | will visit
those scenes.
Leaving Washington, ID. c., one bright
morning a few weeks ago on the pictures
que B. & O. railway, we were soon roll
ing along the beautiful valley of the
II 81, ho, ,,,hio ha
winds for several miles before cutting
through the rocks at Harper's Ferry,
As | sat by the car window viewing the
beautiful panoramic scene, my mind
was carried back to the years before
when, with gun and knapsack, | tramped
over the same ground under the bright
folds of "old glory. All was excite
ment then, but now "all is quiet along
the Potomac. As each hill and vale
came into view and each bend of the
ripping river, familiar scene was pre-
scented. | could scarcely realize that
over third of a century has passed
since those stirring scenes. As we APP
preached the little station of Berlin,
Md, again we are reminded of that July
day, 1868, then in the regular army,
when on our return from Gettysburg we
recrossed the Potomac at this point.
How swiftly came the memories of that
day as looked out on the old familiar
hills. There is the same road leading up
from the river on the Virginia side,
where we tramped along after fording
the stream. Again | could see the old
comrades who now have attended their
last roll call. But the train is again in
motion and other scenes present them
selves to view, and soon we are rushing
through the tunnel and out into the
beautiful junction of the Potomac with
the Shenandoah at Harper's Ferry. Va.
The temptation to stop and visit the
old fields and hills again is too great to
resist. so receiving 'stop-over" from
the obliging conductor | alight from the
train. The comrades will find great
change here at the point" The rail-
road has been raised several feet, making
an enbankment about level with the
roofs of the houses on the lower, or
river street; but back on the hill the
surroundings are about as they were in
war times, except that the younger gen.
Grafton have added many improvements.
At the station | found a very Obliging
young man, Joseph Young, with a
livery, whom Immediately engaged as
driver and general source of information.
We proceeded first up the old street
winding TO the top of Fort Hill or the
heights Of Harper's Ferry, where head
quarters were established during the
siege. From this point most magnfi
cent view is obtained of the surrounding
country. This view of "the passage OF
the Shenandoah through the Blue Ridge
so delighted the great Thomas Jefferson
that he considered it worthy of trip
across the Atlantic to behold the scene
at this spot. know of no place in this
part CT the country that is so perfectly
tisfyIng. | felt like lingering there
the remainder of the day to drink in the
beauties of the scene and the salubriOus
atmosphere. But my time is limited and
| must press on. We then proceeded
along the Charleston road which takes us
to Bolivar Height, which is of the most
interest 70 US. As we approach the
heights, at the lower portion we come
upon a somewhat rolling plateau In the
center of which is little old cemetery
elevated somewhat from the immediate
surroundings. a; this point two old by
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