The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1948-01-01

War, the Confederates throughout
the border-state of Maryland were
working under orders to destroy all
property that could be of benefit to
the United States authorities. This
sounds like the methods of more
modern wars, but of course on a
much smaller scale. Two industrial
and commercial constructions ex-
tending through our own County,
that came in for repeated attacks
and damage, were the Baltimore
and Ohio Railroad, and the Chesa-
peake and Ohio Canal.
The Canal was proving itself to
be of the greatest value to the I'm
ion as an artery of trade. Down the
waters of the canal and through the
many locks, was brought all the
coal for the ships of the United
States Navy and the Navy yard at
Washington. So it was only to be
expected that early attacks were
made upon the canal.
Consequently, at an early date,
the Clear Spring guards were sta
toned at Dam Number Five for the
protection of that structure. They
soon engaged in a double target
practice: the Guards used as targets
the Virginians on the opposite bank
of the Potomac, while the Virgin
ians used the Clear Spring Guards
as their rifle targets. Quite an in
teresting game.
Down at Harpers Ferry, an attack
had been made and in the absence
of strong resistance, the Confeder-
ates had blockaded the canal. The
president of the canal company, Mr.
Alfred Spates, started for this point
to try to in some way open the
blockade, but he had opportunity to
reason-or one should say attempt
to reason"-with the enemy before
reaching Harpers Ferry. At Dam
No. he found the same situation as
described at Dam No. 5; party on
each bank of the Potomac, firing
across the river.
Mr.. Spates boldly crossed the riv
er under a white flag. But if the
Confederates were considerable of
Mr.. Spates' life, they had an entirely
different mind toward his property.
He begged them to leave off their
attack on the Dam and canal, but
the commander of that group of
Confederates, General johnson, told
him that he would obey the orders
he had received, to destroy all such
property. Mr.. Spates had to return
to the canal end of his Dam and just
wait and hope that the attack would
be weak enough to accomplish little
damage to the immense structure.
And so it was; General johnson did
his best, but made little impression
upon this Dam.
History says that the people of
Hagerstown heard the booming of
cannon all through the summer of
1861. This was continuation of
sporadic firing across the River.
Groups of each side were active and
on the alert at all times, and every
time a group of any size could be
spotted, firing began, with rifles and,
when possible, with cannons.
About the middle of September,
two parties of this cross-river con-
f1ict opened fire at Sheperdstown.
On the Maryland side, Captain Da-
vid Souders' men sent to Sandy Hook
for reinforcements, and received,
among other things, two good can
non. The cannon were quickly
mounted and fired upon Shepherds
town. One of the first shots went
entirely through dwelling house,
and the Confederates in the fray
showed themselves to be not quite
so ruthless as modern "civilized''
warriors. They Immediately sent
over flag of truce, with the ex-
PLANTATION that the fighting at this
point was too dangerous to the wom-
en- and children of the village.
All Hagerstown became alarmed
on December Z, when the sound of
cannon became loud and continuous
and seemed to be quite near. Once
more it was the Confederates' at
lacking the canal and the splendid
Dam No. 5. This time old Stonewall
Jackson was battling a slightly more
substantial stone wall. He had
erected battery and was pouring
cannon balls into the masonry of
the Dam, determined to destroy it.
But the Dam stayed. However the
constant battering did weaken the
structure.
A little later, new attack was
made upon the same Dam, this time
under the cover and protection of
Coulston's strong. stone mill. By