The independent-reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1909-1955, 1915-12-09

and the coach house near by in which
is the family coach precisely as he
left it l16 years ago.
Friday morning opened with a
heavy rain that flooded the streets of
the city and made the flags and bunt-
ing and other decorations put on a
shade of sadness in great contrast to
their brilliant showing on previous
days. Notwithstanding the excess
siye rain we procured umbrellas and
made for the Smithsonian museum
buildings in Westinghouse any 9TH
er section of the country, replete with
relics and couriosities of every de-
scription possible. 1t would require
many pages to give a fair outline of
all that is to be seen in this thOus-
ands upon thousands of feet of floor
space Here we saw the Roosevelt
collection of mounted animals. Here
are mounted animals, fish, birds, ser
penis and skeletons of every variety
from all parts of the world. Here
is the mounted skeleton of a whale
IS feet long At the time of is cap
ture it was 100 feet long and 100 tons
in weight Here is the skeleton of
sea serpent 100 feet long. Valua-
BILE curiosities woven into our ma
tons history are everywhere seen.
We noticed the two barreled shot
gun with which Jackson killed Col.
Ellsworth in Alexandria at the begin
ming of the war, also the sword and
revolver Col. Ellsworth carried, and
with them the musket with which
Sergt Browning in turn killed Jack
son. Here are uniforms and spy
glasses and swords that were the
property of Grant and Sherman and
Sheridan and other noted Generals
All this is of the highest interest to
the G, A. R. veterans.
The Public Library the Capital
the Washington monument, the White
House, Equestrian statutes of promi-
nent Generals of the different wars of
the country, all came in for a share
of attention.
We left Washington Friday at p.
m. in special cars for the Antietam
and Gettysburg battlefields. We
passed over the same section that the
Army of the Potomac marched in the
Antietam and Gettysburg campaigns
more than fifty years before and not
ed some of the pleasant villages we
passed through at that time. Central
and Northern Maryland is fine coun-
try and apparently a good farming
section Corn, grain and fruit were
in abundance this season. We run
into Keedysyille. a little village just
north of the Antietam battlefield, in
the early evening and crowded the
81 II l,a t,1a 10 1,,g-t
capacity. After strenuous efforts on
the part of the proprietor, a bounte-
Gus supper was served to the hungry
visitors, but there were not rooms
and beds enough for all and some
were entertained in private homes.
Mr.. and Mrs. Young of New Portland
and Mr.. and Mrs. Emerson were Civ
en- fine rooms and beds in private
family near by and so escaped the
noise and confusion incident to a
crowded hotel.
Saturday morning carriages and
automobiles were in waiting for a
ride over the Antietam battlefield It
is we'll known that this was the most
desperate and bloodiest one days bat
tie of the Civil War. That is to say
that the most men were killed and
wounded in any one day. 10000
under command of Gen. Mcclellan
and about the same number under
Gen. Lee surged backward and for
ward, charged and counter charged
from early morn till night with but
little apparent advantage on either
side. We made stop at the Nation
al Cemetery where the Union dead
are buried, who fell on the field II
occupies commanding position near
the center of the battlefield. We also
made a stop at the bunker Church
where both armies fought as they ad-
vanced or were driven back. also at
the bloody lane, so called, because of
the terrible struggle at that point
where the dead were left in winrows