The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1907-09-07
BRADDocK HEIGHTS, Maryland.

What a trail of "reminiscences fol-
lows the path of Braddock from the
rock at Georgetown, where he landed
his troops, to far Du Quesne in the
wilderness Tradition names the
spring at the base of Catoctin as the
spot where he camped for the night,
having passed through Frederick.
Remnants of the original road laid out
by his engineers can be seen here and
there. The National pike, which fol-
lows the general route of Braddock,
is not coincident with it. Another
trail has been built into these heights,
that Of the trolley, and instead of the
red-coats come tourists and the sum-
mer boarder. Again the builders
have come, and boulevards and cot
tages, hotels and pleasure grounds
rise up in witness of their labors.
The beauty of the scenary is inde-
scribable. Standing at the hotel look
ing east, one sees the Frederick Val
ley lying far spread in splendid culti-
vation with the spires of Frederick in
the near distance. Westward, and
reaching endlessly to north and south,
the Middletown Valley like a map
checkered with grove and field lies at
ones feet. The inevitable red barn
is everywhere interplaced. Like a
great wall, now green, now blue, now
mist covered, runs 10 the west, the
South Mountain, parrelleling Catoc-
tin. Here and there gaps break the
rampant of the mountain, giving Wis
tas of purpling hills beyond. Through
one can be seen the heights about Har-
per's Ferry. Quiet and quaint nes-
ties Middletown, whose spires catch
the glow of the morning sun, while
along the ridge to the south is Jefer
son. Lifted up on this ridge ones
horizon broadens and the invigora-
ting air makes living Joy. Nature
is terrible in her storms, giving far
outlooks on the fierce play of the
tempest, while in sunrise and sunset
the cloud effects are beautiful to a de-
gree. Such tints, evanescent and
changeful, as from behind the west
ern hills, the light touches the clouds
that hover above US, one sees with
Wordsworthian thrill. If to the ma
ture-lover there are joys, to the anti
quarian and lover of history the re-
gion is full of interest. Aboriginal,
Revolutionary and Civil War men,
ories cluster everywhere about US.
Up the ridge lies the Catoctin Fur
mace, which has the unique honor of
having founded some of the cannon
used in the Revolution. If Rumsey
built the first steamboat, then its
shaft was made in this old furnace.
The iron which made the Monitor
invincible TO the bolts of the Merri-
mac came from the same source.
The whole region is crowded with
Civil War "reminiscences. McClel-
Ian, Lee, Early passed through these
gaps. Close at hand are Antietam
and Monocacy. In sight almost is
Harper's Ferry. John Brown oper-
ated hereabouts in bis day. The boom
of Gettysburg was heard reverbera-
ting through the mountains. The
veterans are in constant pilgrimage
to scenes memorable in war times.
Recently on the unveiling of the mon
ument to the Fourteenth New Jersey
Volunteers at the Monocacy, copy
of Pollock's Course of Time, lost by
Mr.. William Byram on the day of
the battle, July g, 1884, was recover
ed after these years. AS the army
passed through Jefferson young
lady waved flag from her doorway
and the soldiers cheered her. The
other day one of these soldier discover
ed that lady, now old and gray, and
the same doorway was there as of yore.
At Gapland on the South Noun
tain, is most remarkable monument,
erected through George Alfred Town
sends efforts, to the memory of the
army correspondents.
1t is a double-storied feudal gate
way, with one arch on the ground
sixteen feet high and span of horse
shoe shape of reddish-brown Hum.
melstown sandstone, each block OF
stone three feet thick. The three
arches above, each arch nine feet high,
are of blue limestone from Cedar
Creek quarries. Pennsylvania and
Virginia furnished the cut stone, but
the memorial is of Maryland rubble
stone in large blocks. In the span
drel of the large arch are shields, on
which are watchwords of the war cor
respondents, "Speed" and "Hold,
and above those are heads of the gods
Mercury and Poetry.
On panels of red brick in the mid
die of the gateway is carved "War
Correspondents" in large letters. In
a niche nine feet high, by the side of
the upper arches, is six foot figure
of Orpheus sheathing a sword and
playing on a Pandean pipe. Three
busts Of correspondents in bronze, to
be presented by their friends, will be
placed in the upper arches. Over the
gable or bartizan at the minor end, is
a gold vane of the "Pen Mightier
than the Sword"
At the rear or valley side of the
gateway are two gray tablets, on one
of which are the names, in double
columns, of about one hundred and
six Northern correspondents. with