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HARPER’S FERRY.A Brief Sketch of its Eventful History.i -Ruins of the Govern7* ent Puildings— Magnificent Scenery—Yv ar. Etc.OUR ILLUSTRATED LETTER.Eiotor Stnsy S'M iu:—A two hours ride from Washington on the Baltimore £ Ohio railroad will take one to Harper's Kerry. This village of inhabitants is situated like a nest among branches—the branches being the lofty mountains surrounding it. To the north are the Maryland Heights, which rise in successive plateaus to an attitude of l,MffO feet above the surrounding country, ami 2.000 feet above the level of the sea. To the cast arc the Loudoun Heights. They are not so high as the Maryland Heights, hut the sides are more precipitous, and, being out of the way of travel, are densely wooded and dillicult of ascent. To the south are Boiivar Heights, on the extreme slope of which is si uated Harper’s Kerry. Bet ween Maryland Heights and Loudoun Heights is a magnificent gorge where unite, the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. The Potomac has brought, its waters from the Allegha-nit*s, while the Shenandoah lias many a tributary'from the Blue Uidge. A striking contiast is noticed between tin: waters of th-se two rivers. That of the Shenandoah is clear, sparkling and transparent, while, that of thePotomac is muddy and turbid.he died in 1782. In 17!'I this place was chosen as a site of a National Armory. For this purpose Congress bought I2o acres rom the heirs of Mr. Harper. This tract is mtained in a triangle formed by the two rives, and a lino running from the Potomac to t‘. Shenandoah a;ong Union street. Another.'*, •. refuse w us mad** «.f :;io a- ris, whig a t* i ten ■ wh» ■.is . • v:..At *Government commenced the erection of shops, and in 171**t, a Mr. Perkins, an English Moravian, was appointed to superintend the* works.'1'iie capacity of the Harper's Kerry Armory was from 1,000 to 2,000 guns a nnn h. At that time the guns manufactured there were considered the best in the world. Until just before the civil war the history and life of this town was the manufacture of arms at the ar-mory. April 17. IS*-,] it is raid that Lieutenant .Jones, “as'.ing ti orders from Washington City, or, under directions from Captain Kings-bury, v ho had been sent from the Capital, the day before to take charge of the armory, had set lire to the Government buildings and, with his men retreated towards the North. The citizens extinguished the lire in the shops and saved them and the macbiner... The arsenal, howev r. was totally consumed with about I V itbti stands of arm, there store !.” The confederates, June 1 I. V'l. burned the main armory buildings, dune 28, 180’, some Baltimoreans and a part of Second Mississippi Regiment, destroyed with lire the rille factory. Thus nothing was left of all the armory works but the engine house, and the bui’ding ne.tr the ra;lroad track, known as John Brown’s Fort.It is now a weird looking locality, ruins, weeds and debris being in abundance. “During the winter In;* !», a bill was introduced into Congress and passed, providing for the sale of the government property at Harper's Kerry.«»n the thirtieth of November and the lirst of Declt; mber, 1 *'!*, therefore, it was put up atand its oldert.- * /c. rS OS' Tin: lt;«»M*E!»ERATi: AKM0UY.In the town on “Cemetery Hill,” behind the Catholic church, is situated “Jefferson's Uock.” On this rock Thomas .1* fferson is said to have written a fine description of the grand scene which lies outstretched be fore one as he sits there. Until recently it was composed of several huge masses cf stone piled on one another, the upper one resting cm a ticklish foundation. To prevent the overthrow of the top stone, it has been supported on pillars. This stone is rather of a soft character and has been chisselcd and cut byjpersons anxious to have their names go down to posterity. The wonderful beauties of the gorge above mentioned, can be seen from this rock, and Jefferson declared “the passage of the Potomac through the Blue Uidge, one of the most stupendous scenes in nature, and well worth a voyage across the Atlantic to see.” A' the base of Maryland Heights runs the Baltimore i Ohi • railroad, and by its side is the Chesapeake .v Ohio Canal. At the union of the rivers the railroad crosses by a remarkable bridge to Harper's Ferry. A visitor should never fail t notice from Jefferson’s Hock the sparkling -f the Shenandoah by moonlight as it ripples over its pebbly bed at the base of Loudoun Heights.This piace was named after Robert Harper. He was born in Oxford, England, about 1702. In 1717 in bis travels from Frederick, Md., to Antietam, be was induced to go by a German named Hoffman, a shorter cut by way of ‘‘The Hole.’’ lie bought out the only squatter named l'eter .Stevens, for off British guineas, and then obtained a patent from Lord Fairfax oil whose estate Stevens had squatted. The name was changed from “The Hole” to Harper’s Ferry. Mr. Harper live I until 177-* in me Stevens cabin situated on Shenandoah street; wherepublic auction, and the armory grounds and the site of the rille factory were purchased by K. C. Adams, of Washington, 1). C , for the sum of sgnu.OOn, with one and two years time for payment.’’ It turned nut later oa that this purchase was made for speculation, but nothing ever came from it. With the destruction of the armory and its accessories departed the life and bustle from Ilarjier’s Ferry. The town had diminished in population. Many of its inhabitants have gone where work can be found, a large number have followed the Cuv-erament works to Springfield, Mass.On September JO and * ct. 1. 1870, occurred a most disalrous and devastating Hood at llarpt-i’s Kerry. There had been a severe ’r meet previous to this date and on September JO the Shenandoah began to rise very rapidly. At one time it is said that the river rose at the rate of six feet in four minutes. It destroyed the most flourishing part of the town. Virgiuius island, situated i:i the middle of the Skt-iiandnali rivir, was swept bare, and many of its inhabitants were carried down the river. Every house except one on the south side* of the St..cel, from the Market House to the island of Virgiuius, was either destroyed or injured. Some seventy houses in all were eit her totally destroyed or rendered uninhabitable. Forty-two lives were lost.October 17, 185‘J, occurred an event which has given her notoriety, however—the John Brown raid. Its object was the freedom of the slaves. The leadc-r was John Brown, a native of Connecticut He had taken a very prominent part in the struggle in Kansas for the admission of that State as a non-slavery State— was fanatical in the extreme. He was assisted by his sons aud some twenty others, four of whom were negroes. The only one of theJons brown's n»UT.| with them. This was held all day. The next ] day early a body of marines under the cotn-! mand of Col. Robert E. Lee and Lieut. .J. E. B. Stuart, stormed the fort with heavy sledge hammers. A battering ram was made of a 1 long ladder and an entrance thus forced. Soon Brown and his survivors were brought forth., He was tried before a Virginia court, convic-j ted, and was hanged at Charleston, W. Va., December 2, iSo'J.; In the upper portion of the town, situated on Camp Hill, is Stover college with its aca-‘ demic and normal departments. This is an I institution for the education of the colored I youth. It seems to be a very striking and fit-i ting location for such an institution, where 1 John Brown made his attempt for the freedom I of the fathers of sonic of the very youths who I now Rtbmd here. John Stover, of Sanford,; Me., iii 18*!7, gave 810,000 to found such an ) institution provided fhat the friends of the I colored people in the Free Baptist denomiua-I tion would raise an equal amount previous to j January, 1808. Jt was done. The Normal ; School was opened in 1807. Stover college ! was chartered by the legislature of West Virginia, March -I, 18*is. There are now three J buildings connected with it. Myrtle Hail,I Lincoln Hall, and Anthony Memorial Ilall.I The last named building contains a library, i chapel, lecture room, printing office, recitation t rooms, etc. During the absence of the pupils in the summer these buildings are occupied by boarders, many going from Washington.The town experienced many vicissitudes during the war, being tirst in the hands of the Confederates; then the Federals took possession only to be driven our by the enemy, and then a new turn of the wheel brought another change. April 18, 1801. the Southern forces marched into Harper’s Ferrv. General Harper, a military oilicer of Staunton, Va., was put in command, but in a few days the Confederates wisely dispensed with feather-bed and cornstalk officers and put into important commands West Pointers and men of regular military education. “Stonewall” Jackson was thou put in command. He was soon succeeded by Gen.JEFFERSON ROCK.Jos E. Johnston, now U. S. Commissioner of Railroads. June 14, 1801. the insurgents retreated from the town. June 28th it was again occupied by the Confederates. Then for a time the inhabitants were plundered hv the raiders from both sides. The Federals occupied it July 21. Several skirmishes took piace during the winter. General Banks occupied it February 22. 1802, aud held it until May 25. Il was held later by Colonel Miles. Septeiu-Conduded on eighthpage.
Newspaper Details
Atlanta Sunny South
Atlanta, Georgia, US
Sat, May 28, 1887
Page 1
Full Page
Clipped by
Cynthia G.
VA, USA 06 Dec 2023
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