Evening star., 1938-08-14
SUNDAY MOTOR TRIP SUGGESTED
First Washington Monument and Memorial Correspondents of
Civil War Can Be Seen in Boonsboro Neighborhood.

retreating from their first unsuccess-
full invasion Of the North, were met
in Turner'S and Champions Gaps by
strong Union forces under Mcclellan.
The battle Of South Mountain was
fought, with the smaller engagements
Of Pleasant Valley and Maryland
Heights. Though these were all VIC
tories for the South, yet they were all
part Of a general Confederate retreat.
Lee and Jackson had struck at the
rich valleys Of Pennsylvania, think
ing that show Of power in the heart
Of the North would influence the un-
decided State of Maryland to join
the South. They were not we'll re-
ceived in Frederick Valley. The Bar
bara Fritchie incident was fairly IN.
dicative Of the temper OF the people:
the Southern armies had difficulty
getting food and support, and after a
few stabs here and there had to start
back toward the Potomac Mcclellan
caught them trailing through the
passes In South Mountain. In the
cannonading. the George Washington
Monument was struck and smashed.
Two days later. Mcclellan saw an
other advantage and pounced in force
on the Southerners as they retreated
across Antitam Valley. Twenty-t three ,
thousand men were killed or wounded
and six generals died. While you are
IN the locality you may wish to visit
the Antietam National Battlefield Site.
The entire Sharpsburg territory is
crlss-crossed by fine one-lane drives
leading to all points OF interest.
REFORE you leave Washington
Monument State Park, however,
a word should be said about the third
and final building of the Monument.
AS noted before, it was rebuilt in
1882. BY 1884 it was in ruins again.
The Washington County Historical
Society decided the monument and 10
acres of land to the State of Mary
land and the Civilian Conservation
Corps rebuilt the memorial in 1885
The park is open all day and until
1890 at night Admission to park
and tower is free. If you want
picnic campfire, there is 10-cent
charge for firewood
On your way to the Antietam Bat
tlef1eld on U. S. No 40 to Boonsboro
and turn left on Maryland No. "a.
Near Keedysville are Crystal Grottoes.
trip through the grottoes requires
80 TO 40 minutes. Admission is IS
cents, including guide service; chill
dren under IL. so cents.
There is still another extremely in
teresting point in the Boonsboro
neighborhood, and it is another monu-
ment. In Champions Cap the next
gap south from Turner's Gap, in South
Mountain, is a monument to the war
correspondents of the Civil War. Just
why it was put in this remote spot,
where until recently only mixers on
the Appalachian Trail or the more
hardy motorists could reach it on rock
roads no one seems to know. There
was small engagement here on Sep
tember ID. 1862, but no journalist was
, killed or did any glorious thing in the
action, so far as the writer knows.
Yet there the monument is. great
brick arch with classical decorations,
spanning an unexcelled view Of the
Middletown Valley.
THE wording War Correspondents"
appears across the top center,
and the journalistic watchwords of
speed" and heed" are on the flnaks
of the arch. On one side is incised in
the stone famous statements of jour-
naliSts ana correspondents on the job.
Among these are Benjamin Franklns
comments while with Gen. Edward
Braddock in l775. and Stanley's Ia
I comic. Mr.. Livingstone. I presume"
on finding the English explorer deep
in Africa after months of search.
Perhaps the most picturesque fea-
ture of this most unusual OF monu-
msnts is its weathervane. Symbolized
thereon is the victory Of reason over
hate, of thought over action, of the
pen over the sword. A plume and a
sword are represented, the former in
the act of breaking the latter.
To reach the war correspondents
memorial at Champions Gap take the
road south from u S. 40. halfway be-
tween Boonsboro and South Noun
tain. Follow this paved road IA
miles through Rohrersville to Gap
land: turn left on paved road which
climbs the gap and reaches the monu-
ment mile from the Gapland corner.
Returning to Washington. retrace
to U. S. 40 and turn right to Fred
e1ick.