THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862

THE MARYLAND CAMPAIGN OF 1862: THROUGH ARKANSAS EYES

We proceeded to the Potomac and, once we reached the bank, I could see the actual ford was off to our right. A small creek about 2 feet wide was between us and the ford. The ground was a soggy and we had to jump the creek, which got Nancy’s shoes muddy.

We walked to the ford. Nancy took pictures of me pointing to the Maryland side of the ford. Once my thirst for chronicling my visit to the ford was slaked, I told her we would go another way back to the car so we would miss the dogs. So we headed to the car along a wide dirt road bordered on both sides by cornfields. We were definitely on someone else’s property rather than the family we had encountered. There was no way of knowing who owned the property so I sort kept the pace brisk to get back to the car.

When we got back to the gravel road, there was a barb wire fence between us our car and it extended both ways and encased the property we were in. There was a gate about 25 yards away, but I opted to vacate the property quickly. I told Nancy that I would stretch two strands of barb wire and she could climb through. She looked at me as if I was crazy, but she wanted to get the car and leave as soon as possible. So, I held the strands while she climbed through. I followed her quickly and we got the heck out of there.

As we drove away she really didn’t know that the dog paw prints were on her shirt. She definitely was relieved to be going back to civilization andsaid, “the next time you want to go on one of these trips, how about leaving me out.”

I laughed and knew when we got back to our motel room and she saw the paw print that I would pay for it.

And I did.