HISTORIC SCENES ON THE POTOMAC
CHAPTER XX.
Historic Scenes on the Potomac.
From St. Louis I take the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, crossing the Mississippi river, pass through southern Illinois, Indiana, and stop at Cincinnati, Ohio, the great manufacturing city on the Ohio river and the metropolis of that valley. I cross the Ohio river, at Parkersburg, West Virginia, where this railroad figured prominently, from here to Washington, during the civil war, and was in a practical state of seige for nearly four years.
I pass through the numerous oil and coal fields in the northern part of the State of West Virginia, with a stop at Cumberland, Maryland, the largest city in the Alleghany Mountains. Cumberland is built on the site of Fort Cumberland, where General Braddock and George Washington made their headquarters during the French and Indian war.
Shenandoah Junction was the scene of many skirmishes during the civil war, and brought back to my mind the great war play of "Shenandoah," which I saw so beautifully staged at the Marquam Grand in Portland, Oregon. The next stop was at Harper's Ferry, the most picturesque, beautiful and historic spot in America. Here I got out of the car and put my hand on the monument which brought back that old song to me, "John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave," for he, with his handful of brave followers, shed the first blood, and the monument to him stands on the spot where his improvised "fort" stood forty years ago. The story of the invasion of Harper's Ferry is told by the government tablets alongside the monument.
To the right is the Shenandoah river, emptying into the Potomac river. Across the Shenandoah is the big mountain, known as Louden Heights, on the Viriginia side. Back of the town is Bolivar Heights. Crossing the steel bridge over the Potomac, passing through a tunnel cut through the base of Maryland Heights, I reach Weaverton, where General Burnside crossed the railroad, en route to Washington, from the battle of Antietam.
At Brunswick, terminals and railroad yards of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, is where General Meade's army recrossed the Potomac on the return from the battle of Gettysburg to Washington.
Point of Rocks is one of the most picturesque sections of Maryland. Here the railroad leaves the Potomac river, having been in companionship for nearly one hundred and fifty miles. During the civil war this part of the country was constantly occupied by both armies, crossing and recrossing the Potomac at this place, occasioning many skirmishes.
Fourteen miles north of Washington Junction, on Frederick Branch, is Frederick, the old home of "Barbara Frietchie," who was so patriotic, waving her union flag while the Southern forces were passing her residence. It came very forcibly to my mind, almost fancying I could see her, as scarcely a year before I had seen it so completely represented at the Broadway Theater at Butte, Montana.
This day's ride was thoroughly interesting, and I will say it is worth both the time and money one spends to view what was once the old battlefields, and to yet see some of the old stone castles that were at one time ocupied by the southern aristocracy.
The employes of this road made themselves very entertaining, by explaining and pointing out every place of interest to the many passengers. This was the first railroad built in America, dating its existence from 1828, the first to have steam locomotives and first to use telegraph lines.
I sat in the "observation end of the car" all day, viewing the historical scenes associated with the French and Indian War, the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 and the Civil War, and heard the explanations. I at times would almost fancy I could see those soldiers on the battlefield, crossing the Potomac river at early sunrise, and hear the roar of the artillery. But the scene has changed since then, and happiness prevails under one government, one flag and one National Capital, which I now reach, Washington, the District of Columbia.