Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1906-04-28
THE FIELD OF BATTLE
INCIDENTS AND ANECDOTES OF
THE WAR.
The Veterans of the Rebellion Tell of
Whistling Bullets, Bright Bayonets,
Bursting Bombs, Bloody Battles,

4
Of the five battledeldS of the war
which have been set apart for memo
rial purposes -Antietam, Gettysburg.
Chiokamauga. Shiloh and NickShurg-
the first named has certain interesting
features not possessed 10y all. The in
crease of population and the march of
material progress have not disturbed
Antietam. II is in the rugged and pic.
ttresque mountain country of western
Maryland. which today looks about rs
| 1t did in 1867 The farmhouses are
scattered at about the same intervals
OF space as on the day Of the battle.
/ MOI q mile of pike exists today
bridge over Autictam creek is the same
structure that saw the terrible Slaugh-
ter forty-four years ago, aud the Dun
ker church. around which the sharpest
of the conflict ragged. is still the place
of worship Of the little society Of Ger
man brethren.
This makes the battle maps clearly
ihteiligihle, besides giving the visitor
the charm Of seeing real things, in
stead of being obliged to interpret all
objects as standing where something
else stood or occupying the space
where so-and-so could once have been
observed For the historical student
therefore. 1t is fortunate that there has
been no rush of population to the poor
farm country of western Maryland.
Even the little griSt mills which abound
in this region of quick mountain
streams are generally deserted and are
falling to pieces Fate has decree
that Antietam shall remain as on the
one day which made the name memor
able in all the world In only Il single
respect has the face of nature changed,
and lbat the battlefield commission
purposes to set back as soon as they
have the means The woods have been
considerably cut off, and many acres
are now cleared that were well for
ested in 1862 But the farmers are
raising the same crops and everything
in nature looks just as it did then
Antietam is sufficiently near Wash
ington to make 1t a convenient place
for lelsurely tourists to visit. Keelys-
vile, on the Hagerstown branch of the
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, about six
" nnles northwest of Washington, is
the most accessible station, although
the Norfolk < Western road comes
nearer the field at a station formerly
called Sharpsburg, but now named An
tietam. Between the villages OF
Sharpsburg and Keedysyillo lies tht
battlefield. SharpsburG Is on the Pc
tolnac ten miles north Of Harper.
Ferry. the village being about a milk
from the river: while Keedysville Is
five miles inland to the north. TIE
country Is about as mountainous rs
the southern part of New hampshire
or the most rugged regions of Vermont
Capland. where the war correspond
euts' memorial has been erected, il
only a few miles away. and along the
same Hagerstown branch while the
clustered spires of Frederick, made
famous by Writers verses. and In
thriving city of IIngerStOWn are dis
tant but few hours drive. GettyS
burg is perhaps forty miles to the north
east. 1t should be recalled that AN
tietam' is not the name Of a town, bu
Of a small mountain creek which emp
To-. y.
Ferry. The ncghboring town is Sharps
burg, by which Southern historians
designate the battle. But II was along
the stream, particularly at the Burnside
bridge, that some of the sharpest fight
ing occurred.
Near the village of Sharpsburg -fou
miles from the Keedysyille station, are
the national cemetery and the Observa
tlon tower beside the Bloody lane
About mile to the north are the Dun
kcrs' chapel and the Massachusetts
monument, while Burnside bridge lies
a mile south of the village, and The
most picturesque scenery of the tiet
is there found All the main roads
. ms throughout rural Maryland and Yves
= Virginia, are turnpikes on which thu
, traveller who is able to ride pays "A toll
of ) cents. There is n tollgate Just out
side of Keedysvile and one near tin
: bunker church. In addition the govern
ment has built six miles Of marrow
avenues following important battle
: lines, the object being TO make driv
, by the iron tablets. which state tn
; position of the various corps and othe
facts of historical interest. These mark
; ers begin as soon as the visitor leave
= KeedysvilIe. The first one is In
farmers cowyard and points to rougl
lane with these words II. S. A rout
Of the Twelfth Corps 10 the crossing o
, the Antietam" But the tablets are mos
plentiful along the batteine. especial!
about Pipers cornticld and the Blood,
lane on the north side Of 1t. They ar
{ painted black. with white raised let
ters. and rest aslant on low iroI
post. In some places as many as nin'
. l.. I.,.e . g,,1I l..