The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1947-03-06
Horse And Buggy Days
BY IDA 10 MARTIN

forthwith made her three appoint
ments, but Washington County did
nothing about it and consequently
the location of this dividing line was
not definitely fixed until a second
Act was passed in 1924.
Originally Washington County ex-
tended Westward across our great
valley and over the mountains, to
the Western boundary of the State.
No one knows the population of this
vast territory at that time, but it
was thought to have been under
10000 This territory included, of
course, all that is now three coun-
ties At this time Hagerstown had
thriving population of 500. Twenty
years later, 1896, the population of
this whole area had grown to 10000,
but before this time the county had
been divided In 1889 the Western
boundary of Washington County was
fixed at its present location, and the
land west of that was then known
as Allegany County, with a popula-
ton of less than 5000. Thus in 1890,
the smaller Washington County con-
tanned approximately 10000 persons.
This population continued to grow
so that it had reached 10000 by 1920, !
10000 by 1860, 10000 by 1890 and
$4,000 by the turn of the century,
by actual census.
At one time, in 1920, one eighth of
the population-3,2 00-were slaves
and at the same time there were 800
free Negroes. This was the highest
number of slaves in Washington
County at any time, and the num-
Der decreased from this date as more
and more slaves ran away, across
the Mason and Dixon Line, after
Pennsylvania nullified the Fugitive
Slave Law, so that, by the outbreak
of the Civil War, there were only
1880 slaves in Washington County.
It is thought that there were few
if any left by the time slavery was
abolished. Indeed the custom of
freeing the slaves had grown to such
an extent that Washington County,
and the rest of Maryland, are con-
sidered by many to have been a
Northern State, though occupying a
position south of the Mason and Dix
on Line.
One of Washington County's most
striking personages for a period of
several generations during and after
the Civil War, was Henry Kyd
Douglas. He was a man of ''impos-
ing presence" tall and slender, and
he always retained his military
taught Straightness and carriage. 1t
is said that he had piercing eye
and aqualine features, but that he
was courteous and kind in manner
and that he was fine public speak
err. This. of course, was partly due
to his thirty years experience as a
lawyer. He gave many lectures on
military affairs from his own eXper-
fence. Once, in Boston, he spoke on
the subject of "The Confederate
Volunteer" and received an ovation.
He was also well known for maya
zine articles on The Civil War. But
in political ventures Mr.. Douglas
never had much success, probably
because he was straightforward and
not enough of a politician as we
know them today. Mr.. Douglas en-
tertained General Mcclellan in Ha-
gerstown just after the War and on
numerous occasions made addresses
before the Grand Army of the Re-
public, but he never uttered word
of apology for having worn a grey
uniform"
Henry Kyd Douglas was born In
1910, the son of Rev. Robert Doug
las and Mary Robertson Douglas.
He later graduated from Franklin
and Marshall College and from Lex
ington, in law, just at the beginning
of the Civil War. He Immediately
enlisted at Harper's Ferry as prl-