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 lady killed on High street and the colored woman received
their death wounds from Minnie bullets. A shell from some other battery
penetrated a government house on High street, Harper's Ferry, occupied
by Mr. James McGraw, passed directly through it without injuring any
one, and then penetrated the house of Mr. Alexander Kelly, where it fell
on a bed without exploding. Miss Margaret Kelly, daughter of the
proprietor of the house, was in the room when the unwelcome visitor
intruded and settled down on the bed, but fortunately, she received no
injury beyond a bad fright.
While this skirmish was progressing, a confederate officer of high rank
sauntered into the armory yard, either to watch the enemy on the
opposite side of the river or to take shelter from the heat which was
intense that day. He was alone and excited no particular attention. On
the next day a young girl who was searching for a cow that had strayed,
found his dead body and, as the rebels had retreated on the previous
night, the task of burying him devolved on the citizens. The body was
much swollen and decomposition had made great head-way. So nobody knows
how he came to his death and, indeed, no examination for wounds was
made. He was interred somewhere under the railroad trestling and it
would be worth something handsome to discover the exact spot. After the
war his family offered a large reward for the discovery of his resting
place, but, in the campaign of Sheridan which followed shortly after
this fight cavalry horses were picketed under this trestling and they
tramped the ground so hard and obliterated so completely all traces of
the grave that the search for it, which continued some time, was finally
abandoned. Poor fellow, his fate was a sad one. No doubt, he left a
happy home and loving friends and, now, he moulders in an unknown grave
without even the companionship of the dead.
"His sword is rust;
His bones are dust;
His soul is with the saints, we trust."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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