The Strange Story of Harper's Ferry, with Legends of the Surrounding CountryBarry, Joseph
History
The Strange Story of Harper's Ferry, with Legends of the Surrounding Country
Barry, Joseph
Harpers Ferry (W. Va.) -- History; Harpers Ferry (W. Va.) -- History -- John Brown's Raid, 1859
The killing of Rohr was the cause of another calamity to the hapless
town. Colonel Geary, who was commanding the federal troops at the Point
of Rocks, Sandy Hook, and the bank of the Potomac to Harper's Ferry and
under whom Major Tyndale was acting at Sandy Hook, became highly
incensed at the death of Rohr, who was a favorite scout, and he
immediately sent a detachment to destroy the part of Harper's Ferry in
which the confederates were accustomed to conceal themselves and watch
and annoy the federal soldiers on the Maryland shore. This they
accomplished, ruthlessly destroying with fire Fouke's hotel and all of
the town between the armory and the railroad bridge. Certainly, this
must be considered a wanton destruction of property as the trestle
buttresses or even the ruins of the burnt buildings furnished enough of
shelter for spies or sharpshooters. The demolition of this property was
accomplished under the immediate supervision of Major Tyndale, and here
occur some curious coincidences such as often appear in history and in
ordinary life. It will be remembered that John Brown, on the day of his
capture, prophesied the destruction of Harper's Ferry, to take place in
a short time. It will be recollected, too, that his wife came to
Virginia to get possession of his body after his execution. This same
Hector Tyndale accompanied her from Philadelphia as a protector and
conducted the transportation of the remains from Virginia to New York.
In a little more than two years the town, to all intents and purposes,
was destroyed and the finishing stroke was given to it by this very
Tyndale. Who will say that these were merely coincidences and who will
not rather suspect that there were in these affairs something like a
true spirit of prophecy and a divine retribution. Major Tyndale is now
dead and peace to his soul! At the battle of Antietam he was shot
through the head, but he recovered, at least partially, from his wound
and in some years after he served as mayor of Philadelphia. He was no
friend to the author of these pages, but truth compels a rather
favorable summing up of his character. Like his great namesake of Troy,
he was a sincere patriot and, although he often descended to the
consideration of mere trifles and harassed innocent people with
groundless suspicions, it is believed that he was thoroughly honest and
he certainly had courage enough to do no discredit to his Homeric name.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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