Daily Kennebec journal., 1899-09-30

VI the UNION corner on, Mdfyldnu
Virginia and West Virginia. where
four counties have their limit, two In
Maryland and one in each of the
others-where every square foot of the
soil has been baptised with American
blood-where for more than IS months
after First Bull Run it was a draw
| game as to which should occupy the
strategic point. Union or Confederate
here where could be seen the simple
monument to John Brown; Bolivar
| Heights-so well known to many
Maine men-where Miles surrendered
| 10000 men without a struggle; here
where the swifter waters of the Shen-
andoah mix with the sluggish Poto-
| mae, and where Banks, with proud
! step and waving flags started up that
| beautiful valley to meet disaster and
defeat-and where Sheridan, with no
flourish Of trumpets, but with the
simple assent Of his chief, General
Grant. to his promise, to lick hell out
of old Early" rode to success and
fame, and the plaudits of the civilized
world, leaving Winchester. Cedar Hill
| and Opequan Creek as mile stones to
| mark his victorious path-this was
only a small part of what we could see
| and feel as we waited in the chill air
| for the laggard train-and we were
10th to leave this quaint and historic
spot although the next stop was to be-
Antietam, one Of the most bloody fields
| in history.
The next stop was Keedysville Can
tietam) and we found dinner all ready
for us. And such a dinner, We
hadn't run up against its like since
the old Pine Tree State was left. 10
days ago. Everything was set on to
the table. and the order was to Help
yourself and pass to the next. please,
-um- m -m--That 40 minutes wait had
fixed the 40 Capacities ana the good people
of Wyands hotel stood back and
laughed to see that splendid dinner go
down our necks, Then came the bat
tlefeld. And here, as at every point
reached by the old Army Of the Poto-
mac, Maine was at the fore front Of
the battle. The house used q years
age by General Mcclellan for head
quarters served as a landmark. and all
Of the comrades who were in that bat
tie fixed their exact location on that
terrible nth day Of September, 1862 |
BE it remembered that in no engage /
mcnt of the War of the Rebellion was !
there more terrific fighting than oc- (
CURED at Bloody Lane" Gettysburg |
was a three days battle, Cold HarbOr /
was four days. Petersburg was two I
days. but no one day of the whole war /
bears a record to equal that on this /
sanguinary field. The government !
recognizes this. and is rapidly putting \
in place markers, tablets and monu
ments to make enduring the heroic |
deeds performed here-and in the list |
our good old State stands prominent. /
The Bloody Lane where the Blu
and the Gray We're piled four and five
deep. tells story of actual hand-tp-
hand combat unequalled in the annals
of war. And as stated. the govern
ment in its desire TO pcrpetuate the
bravery and endurance of American
manhood has purchased and fenced off
that portion Of the field and in due
time will see that appropriate tablets
are erected there. All of these tablets
are Of black bronze, raised letters
painted white. and are repainted
yearly.
At the risk of making this letter
tedious one bit of history 0earned the
day of our visit,) should come in here
as a reminder that The Unknown
Dead are stll indeed Unknown"
save only to Him who ''slumbers not.
nor sleeps" The state of Maryland
had two First Regiments-One Union.
the other Confederate Several com
panes Of each regiment were recruited
on and around Antietam field, ard
families were divided. Fathers who
favored the Union enlisted under the
old flag because their sons had en-
listed under the Stars and Bars, and
brothers We're estranged because Of
their opinions and in some cases. divid
ing numerically, two entered the
Union army. the other two after a
hand shake. going with the Confed
crates. These two regiments met on
the battlefield Of Antietam, at the
Bloody Lane" upon ground they
owned and had but recently TILED: and
Il good measure of the terrible fighting
and of the deadly result in this Bloody
Lane can be ascribed to these two
regiments. The state Of Maryland has
recognized these facts and is erecting
upon the field an elegant peace monu-
ment to be dedicated to the memory
of her heroic sons who fell there. Only
three days before our visit while eX-
cavating to set their great derrick. the
Union soldier. known to be such for
belt and cartridge box bore the IT. S
plate, and the cartridge box had upon
it the initials Of the owners name ana
New York" plainly marked. The bones
Were carefully boxed and statement
of the facts sent to the adjutant gen
eral of New York, and it is confidently
expected that the remains will Vet be
identified.
The foregoing is only one instance.
Upon all the farms covered by the
battlefield such findings are very com
mon. but the chances for Identification
never have been 50 favorable as in this
case How applicable the words Of the
poet, Collins:
How sleep the brave who sink to rest,
BY all their country's wishes blest!'
The next and last letter of this series
will tell of our stay at Gettysburg.
TOURIST.
Reflections Of Bachelor.
Probably nobody but a baby knows all
that IL has to put up with