Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-09-24
ON THE BATTLE-LlNE
VISIT TO FIELDS MADE FAMOUS
DURING THE REBELLION.

Cettysbura As IL is and As II Was
When Meade and Lee Met There
Bloody Antietam.--1isto Harper's
Ferry.--Seenes About Frederieks-
bura That Recall the Big Fights.
Harper's Ferry is not easy OF APP
proach from the north-you learn
why when You &c. there. You can
drive over from Antietam, twelve
miles. But If you are travelling by
rail Won must 90 down to a little
shaek-station called Weverton where
Won strike the Baltimore " ONO ana
then follow it up the Potomoe three
miles.
on our way over we asked a native
how large Harper's Ferry was. IL
don't know. but it's right big town
for its size We smiled &C this
Celticism, but later it required to us
as very apt description. Harper 5
Ferry is uniquely picturesque, but not
beautiful. There is no place IKE y
on the continent. Ii lies in a pocket
right where the Upper Potomac and
Lower Shenandoah Valleys meet. In
stead OF widening 10 a broad plain,
as is customary when valleys join
bv a strange freak OF nature these
two narrow to a degree that barely
permits the waters TO tlow On every
side rise trowning, rock-taced heights
80 near the town that a stone can be
thrown upon it from almost any dl-
rection. The Potomac tumbles down
from the northwest; the Shenandoah
pours its muddy current in nom the
southwest. The town occupies the
narrow strip between, which rises
rather steeply 70 Bolivar Heights a
short distance to the west. North OF
the Ferry the IprecipitousI Maryland
Heights frown down, their base SO
near the left bank of the Potomac
that there is barely room for the
Chesapeake q Ohio canal 70 wind
between. The Baltimore q Ohio
double track crosses the Potomac Al
the Ferry from the right to the len
bank which latter il barely reaches
before plun0ing into a dark tunnel
cleft in the solid rock-its only posi-
bic method of egress down the valley.
3 ulAuGA u AHt eAtlAN = eNNAA - :
Harper's Ferry for Winchester and
the Upper Shenandoah. Highway
bridges span both the Potomac and
the Shenandoah from the town. The
Ferry ends of these bridges converge
10 point so closely that one toll
keeper tends both bridges, while the
other ends are wide apart. London
Heights Just across the Shenandoah
pen in the town on that side. Indeed
Harper's Ferry is so mountain-ribbed
that a full view OF the sky is an i'm
possibility. Its a poor place 10 study
astronomy.
Harpers Ferry is historic. You
are disappointed in not seeing John
Browns Fort the old engine house
in which the militant abolltionisI
took his stand with few fol
lowers after Selling the federal
arsenal as preliminary movement
10 a general slave Instruction thai
he hoped to incite; in which he was
besieged by troops under command
OF Col. Robert +. Lee. the door bat
tered in and himself finally taken
prisoner. leading to his speedy trial
and execution as a traitor and MUIR
derer. The edihce j. gone. II was
taken to the Worlds Fair at Chicago
for exhibition in 1898 and has not
been returned. A small stone monu.
ment marks the spot where il stood
beside the b. q o. track only few
steps from the depot. Near this
monument are four metal tablets
telling the story of the military opera.
tions at Harper's Ferry leading TO the
surrender of the post and over 1900
Union troops stationed there TO q
somewhat larger force OF Coniederates
under Stonewall Jackson In sep
TENDER, 1862 II is not very pleasant
reading 10 the NortherneT.
The strategic importance OF Har'
per's Ferry can be easily understood.
IL is the gateway to the Shenandoah
valley and to the Potomac In both
directions. Occupied by the Federals,
il meant the preservation OF the south.
ernmost link connecting Washington
with the West and threatened the
| COnfederates in the Shenandoah
above. Were the latter to hold H.
they could sever the important b. q
/ O. railroad and the canal and com
pei the Federals to use longer ant
more remote systems for the trans
pOrtatiOn OF troops and supplies. a.
well as ordinary commerce, between
the East and West They could alsC
threaten the open country OF their foe
beyond, with its populous cities, in
Guiding the national capital Har
per's Ferry was in addition a natural
depot for Federal supplies; a point
within easy reach OF the armies oper.
ating in that section at which mum
itions OF war could be quickly Assem-.
bled and from which they could be
forwarded in many directions. SO II
came about thai the Ferry during the
Rebellion enjoyed a prominence and
experienced an activity that passed
away with the return OF peace.
There was only one trouble with
Harper's Ferry from a military point
OF view. Il required large force "a
defend it adequately Its natural de-
fences were the heights about il.
With these well fortified and manned,