Road to Antietam: Germantown to Frederick

Of course, with all of that drama yesterday, things were much better today. I think mine and other’s prayers were answered and I woke up feeling much better. I gingerly slipped my shoes on and headed out at about 7:30 this morning with a flashing red and white light on my hat (it was foggy here), and I headed north. Soon after I left Germantown, the sidewalk ended for most of the 20 miles ahead of me.

The good news is that I did learn a few things from the days before. First, I would like to thank all of you for the advice about the blisters. Sister Alice (not the nun who beat me in elementary school but my real sister) suggestion of using mole skin seemed good, but I was unable to find any suitable moles (most of the ones I saw had been run over). Both Coach Connell and Bob gave good advice. I bought the Band Aide Blister stuff and it seemed to work. My feet were sore today, but certainly bearable. I also learned to bring plenty of water, snacks, and to eat when I could. Because of that, I ate lunch both in Clarksburg and Urbana. I felt like a hobbit eating a second meal, but both Clarksburg and Urbana looked like dots on the map. Little did I know the difference.

You see, Clarksburg seems to be stuck in the previous century or two. Most of what you have for business is construction, landscaping, and mulch production. The only place to eat is a deli style restaurant. It was early, so I ordered a sandwich and brought it with me for later. When I arrived in Urbana, I had to use the facilities, so I went into a pizza place trying to buy a slice. “A slice? What’s a slice?” I explained that some pizza places sold pizza by the slice. They were confused. So I ordered a small pizza.

After I left the place, I was confused as to where I was at. I was walking through this town with new trees and plants, but all of the buildings were built in the 19th century style. It was if someone took a historic town, rebuilt it from scratch, and asked people to move in. I was expecting Mickey and Minnie to come out and start singing “It’s a Small World.” Schools, libraries, markets and even the post office are brand new! It was confusing. I will try to send pictures to confirm.

After Disneyworld, I mean Urbana, I travelled north to the Monacacy National Battlefield. The site commemorates a battle between the Confederacy and the Union in 1864. It was a last ditch effort for the South to capture Washington to take the pressure off Richmond. It relates to this story because it is where McClellan got a hold of Lee’s Special Order 191 in 1862 which was Lee’s instruction to his generals prior to Antietam. These documents were supposed to allow McClellan to destroy Lee’s army. If it were only the case…

Starting around this point in Ward Benton’s letters, he starts to complain about a “bowel complaint”. This keeps him from marching on one day. Luckily one of his friends from Guilford is driving the commissary wagon. If you consider the heat, the diarrhea, and his wound, it is a wonder that he was able to hike back to Frederick. I did not need to hitch a ride, but I still keep it in my back pocket in case the need arises.

While I am in Frederick, I am meeting with the Director of the Civil War Museum of Medicine. I hope to gain insight on the conditions of the hospitals in Frederick after the war.

I do appreciate everyone’s support and kind words. Today I sang all of the military hymns, a few pop songs, the “Battle Hymn of the Republic”, “John Brown’s Body”, and “Dixie”. They were mostly positive songs to match my mood. Tomorrow should be nice although a little warm. I have my biggest hills tomorrow, but it is light past 7:30 p.m. so I should have plenty of time.

Please check out the pictures. I have a pointing one since I know how many of you look forward to them.

Semper Fidelis,

Dennis