The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1949-11-24
HORSE AND
BUGGY DAYS
by
Ida 10 Martin

Antietam Battlefield to look over
some of the scenes of battle. With
me was an Uncle who spent his
youth in this section, but for many
years has been out of the State. He
was anxious to see some of the places
everybody hears about. At one
place he was told that the old stone
fence still bore the marks of strife,
and that there were places where the
one side of the old fence was near
" covered with lead melted bullets.
However, nothing of this kind could
be found. Indeed, the marks of
strife wear away, SO that the monu-
ments and PLAQUES alone tell the
story today. No doubt there are
many buildings in that section that
show the marks, such as bullet
holes.
l was fortunate in finding an old
book of "reminiscences of the Civil
War, with many stories about events,
and some sidelights on the war. I'm
fortunately, do not know the name
of the author of this book, as part
of it has been destroyed. 1t is a
very old book, as there were APP
parently no self-propelled vehicles
at the time it was written.
The writer described his visit to
two of the battlefelds of our Coun-
ty-one after the battle below Boons-
boro, and the other, at Antietam,
while the battle was in progress. At
the time of his visit, he was living
in Chambersburg. There had been
Confederate soldiers in Hagerstown,
and apparently no trains ran over
the line from Hagerstown to Cham
bersburg while Hagerstown was thus
occupied. Then came the word that
the rebels had left Hagerstown, and
that a train would run. The writer
Immediately secured passage, and
came down to visit the scenes des-
cribed, along with about one hun
dred other citizens of Chambersburg.
From Hagerstown, most of this
group had to walk to the battle
fields below Boonsboro, but the writ
er and several others were fortunate
enough to get a ride on Spring
wagon" Soon after leaving Ha-
gerstown he began to see evidences
of recent encampments and the re-
suits of cavalary engagements.
Limbs were shot off trees, and few
dead bodies were seen before reach
ing Boonsboro, with parties engaged
in burying them.
In Boonsboro, they found all as
tir. People were coming and going
in all directions. There were count
less army wagons everywhere they
looked, South of the town the fields
were white with wagons, while a
steady stream of heavily loaded wa
CONS was going through the town,
coming down from the mountain gap
near by, and going on in the direc-
ton of Sharpsburg. Empty wagons
were also returning. They describ-
ed some of the soldiers they saw as
Struggling and footsore."
This writer soon pressed on, with
one of two others, to the battlefield
of the Battle of South Mountain, on
ly about two miles from the town.
AS they neared the top of the noun
tain, they began to see the real
sights of battle. Scattered every
where were personal articles of
clothing, knapsacks, haversacks, hats,
caps, shoes, paper and envelopes.
The writer picked up one piece of
paper which became a souvenir; it
was an envelope with a Zouave
grasping the Flag upon it, and the
inscription, "The 51st New York;
always ready when wanted"
Going on short distance, they
came upon the real horror of war
the dead. He described quite vivid
ly the appearance of the first man
he saw, one who had lain for quite
some time, and the scene was SO
CHASTITY that he became sick, and
started to run from the sight. But,
like in nightmare, he only stumbled
over more, and at the encourage
ment of his friends, he began to ac-
cept the facts as they were. For
some time they viewed the horrible
scene, and he gave quite descrip-
ton of it in his book. A little later
they came upon place where there
were number of wounded men,
many of them in utter despair, for
there was no such thing as help for
their wounds, and indeed no one
even to care about it. The writer
must have been a rather tender
hearted man, for he could not leave
these men, but spent great deal of
time trying to do the little he could,
such as trying to take messages from