The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1900-10-19

ing, l dashed on, leaving the youth,
(for 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 passed, 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
a 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-honses with
their barns, steadings, stock-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 beyond them
lay the city devoted by us to destruc-
tion. A moments survey of these hills
served, however, to convince US that
something more than 4 mere continu-
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 well 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 we'll as judicous management, must
be displayed, before We could hope to
force this position.
Few of my readers can be ignorant
that Baltimore,a 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 range of hills, which beginning
at the edge of the water, sweep round
almost in circle about the town. To
such, therefore, as advance upon it in
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. I'm
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 delnea-
tion which the pen of a finished travel
Ter could draw out; but can say some
thing of the defences, by means Of
which this greatest of all the ports Of
the Chesapeake was protected, and as
an account Of these may prove not un-
interesting to my readers, | proceed to
give it.
The approach to Baltimore, by wa
ter, is defended by two forts, one on
each bank Of the river. The fort on
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 in rcdoubt, thrown
up for the purpose, just where the hills
bend back upon the town. In the CEN
ire Of these two covering redoubts,
batteries. breastworks .feches, and trav-
erses were thrown up; where time had
not been granted for this, deep bitches
were dug-and stakes and palisades
completed the intrenchments, which
mud banks and parapets had begun.
In the range of these works were
mounted one hundred and twenty
pieces of ordinance, many of them "a
and 30 Founders, and all were manned
by the choicest seamen from the fleet.
To support this powerful artillery,
some twenty thousand infantry we're
under arms; and of these the greater
number were, as might be expected,
militia men ; but as far as we could
learn, there were full five thousand
troops of the line who had been called
in, but had arrived too late for the de-
fence of the capital. Ofcavalry, | new
er happened to hear what force was
before us. Without doubt, the squad
rons which showed themselves at Bla-
densburg were here, and perhaps they
were re-enforced by some local troops;
but | will not venture conjecture as
to their number, because | possess no
ground upon which to frame it, | do
| ~ kt>~f Oh, ~