Civil War Sunday - Harpers Ferry, WVa

 They call it wild, wonderful West Virginia.

The history textbooks will tell you that the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Harpers Ferry (then in Virginia, now West Virginia) took place September 12-15, 1862.  But most people know Harpers Ferry for a pre-Civil War event, the raid by John Brown on the United States arsenal in Harpers Ferry (that building, incidentally, no longer exists.)  Actually, Harpers Ferry is rich in history, and deserves another blog post devoted to more than Civil War era history.

What the history textbooks will not tell you is anything about this wonderful town, nor any of the other towns throughout the United States and Confederate States of America where these battles in textbooks were fought.

The textbooks will not tell you anything about what these places are like today.  Today, I would like to show you some of Harpers Ferry.


Too many times these places are like other typical American cities -full of strip malls and busy, busy traffic.

Harpers Ferry is not that kind of place.  Thank heavens.  It is a little bit off the beaten track and for good reason.  It is hilly and rugged.

I visited Harpers Ferry this past March along with the Antietam battlefield, and I will be returning to the area later this month.

The Appalachian Trail runs right through this area.

A monument dedicated to John Brown, erected by the NAACP, in Harpers Ferry.

A John Brown historic marker in nearby Charlestown, WVA, where John Brown was tried.

The bookshop at the National Park in Harpers Ferry is one of the best sources I've seen for Civil War books and related items.  I highly recommend a visit.  While in the book store, we saw this marker for a flood - as it turns out, Harpers Ferry is very flood prone and portions (such as Virginius Island) have had to be given back to nature due to floods, including some where townspeople died.

One of the many historic buildings in Harpers Ferry.  This is on the campus of the former Storer College, one of the first integrated schools.  Frederick Douglass was a trustee of the college. 

This is a view (a little blurred) of the Potomac River from a bluff.  I'm told sometimes you can see bald eagles flying over the river.

And, a beautiful sunset over Harpers Ferry.  Such a contrast from what was happening there 150 years ago this week.

I hope my travels later this month leave me time to visit the modern Harpers Ferry again.

Do you have a favorite town or city where a Civil War battle was fought?

Spring Things - Bluebells of Virginius Island

Virginius Island, in walking distance from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, used to be a thriving mill village back in the 19th century.

Harpers Ferry is best known for the John Brown raid that was one of the factors leading to the United States Civil War, but the area is actually rich in a lot of other history, too.  One day I will blog more about it.

Virginius Island lies in the Shenandoah River near where it joins with the Potomac.  The entire area (including the lower part of Harpers Ferry) is a flood plain and has been flooded again and again.  Recurrent flooding ended the occupation of Virginius Island.  Now it is abandoned.  The island is gradually returning to nature.

To get to Virginius Island, you cross the Shenandoah River on a bridge that has a train running mere feet away from where you walk.

Last month, the Virginia bluebells were in full bloom.

They grow even around the ruins.

The confluence of the Shenandoah and the Potomac seems so peaceful, but those rivers actually have a lot of rough water.  And when the floods come, they are deadly.

We think we can conquer nature but when it comes right down to it, we are only fooling ourselves.