Some people are into this sort of thing, and some aren’t, but for those of us who are… it’s cool to be at a particular place exactly 150 years to the day… and sometimes to within the hour or so… of an event in the Civil War.
So, check your watches… the time is currently just after 5:45 p.m. Here’s what David Hunter Strother saw at approximately the same time, 150 years ago.
The Rendezvous of the Virginians at Halltown, Virginia, 5 p.m., on April 18, 1861, to march on Harpers Ferry, by D.H. Strother.
Now, here’s where I was at, approximately three hours ago…
Modern view of Halltown, West Virginia, April 18, 2011, approximately 2 p.m.
I took a couple of shots, a couple facing west, and then this one, facing east… wish I had taken more from this angle. Note the bend in the track. It appears that Strother sketched facing east. Yet, we know how much things can change in 150 years. First, all the buildings present in his 1861 sketch are gone… or are they? Well, what you don’t see is a house on the hill, just to the left. Take a look at Strother’s sketch… see the house on the hill to the left? Note that the chimney is on the east side of the house… away from Strother. Actually, if I could have captured a wider view, hidden behind the trees, up on the hill to the left, you would also see a house… and the chimney is on the east side, away from me. Granted, Strother’s sketch was not necessarily to scale and exact shapes and designs may not appear as they did then, but take a look at the house on the hill…
What do you think? Was I standing at approximately the same spot where Strother was when he made the sketch?
hls
April 18, 2011
You were standing right in front of the paper mill. My grandma’s house is / was to the right of the picture. In the 60′s the mill spewed out black grit all over the place. We survived. My G-Dad Hubert L. Dodson worked in the powerhouse for the papermill. Coal= steam=energy. Mill belonged to the Blackford family. Guess they we’re among the first recyclers of paper. They had a contract to boil/melt uncirculated magazines/newspapers and make cardboard. Everything in Halltown was covered with BLACK fly ash. It never hurt the taste of the fried chicken & pickeled peaches tho. What a great website you have. Love it!!!!
Robert Moore
April 18, 2011
Thanks! Appreciate the personal story as well!
hls
April 18, 2011
OBTW, Mickey Jackson’s mom and dad were killed in a head on collision right on those tracks. Mickey was a football standout for Harpers Ferry high. He played the next weekend in dedication to mom and dad. Later went on to be a coach and scout at Marshall in W.Va. Was there when the plane crashed killing the Marshall football players. He normally would have been with them but was scouting for the next year. They made a movie about it. Mickey didn’t make pro cause he had bad, weak ankles. Still alive and well in Huntington W.Va. Think he has an auto dealership. He was GREAT when he ran the ball for H.F. He could jump 8 feet and climb OVER a tackler with his feet. My uncle Hugh Dodson was one of his guards.
hls
April 18, 2011
Wish I could have 1 hour to talk 2 J.D.Slusher, My GG grand dad. Just for the little stories, his feelings, his personal reasons for going into battle. Even his regrets. All I have is speculation based on what I read. Wish I knew him.