CONFEDERATE FOOTSTEPS

PAGE TWO: MAY 13, 2011...FALLING WATERS TO WASHINGTON, VA

We drove through Falling Waters where they passed by at 11 on June 25, 1863 on their way to Williamsport, then crossed on pontoons on July 13

after Gettysburg on their way back to Virginia. It was built up all along Rt. 11 we were on and I didn't find any trace of him here. We went on down 11

to Martinsburg, where we had lunch, but also had no sense at all of his presence. He'd been through here both in June and July of 1863, before and

after Gettysburg.  Down 81 we went to Winchester in a very heavy rain and pounding interstate traffic, glad to get off on 522 toward Front Royal, where

he crossed on pontoons at the north and south forks of the Shenandoah. To get to this point to take a picture, we had to drive down a narrow, very

rutted road posted with no trespassing signs and at its end, Carl kept the engine of the getaway car running while I hopped out (to the best of my broken

abilities anyway) and scuttled furtively toward the river to snap the picture above. Ah, me...criminal activity led into by the need for a photograph!

Passing through Front Royal, we headed up toward Chester Gap, through which Jonathon marched twice,

heading north in terrible heat toward Gettysburg from Fredericksburg, then south after Gettysburg (in direction

picture was taken) when he was getting sick.

.

At the top of Chester Gap

Lots of poison ivy just beyond the sign

Carl by a house at Chester Gap just across the street from the sign

Suddenly it dawned on me the syrup pitcher had yet to make it into a photograph. There was no place to set it here, so

I just held it with one hand and photographed it with the other in a place so as to make its location...obvious.

Heading now downhill from Chester Gap, well, downhill if you are heading this direction as he was after

Gettysburg, but uphill if you are marching toward Gettysburg...in the heat.

More of the route between Chester Gap and Washington, Virginia, along which he marched both directions.

I kept trying to picture long columns of grey marching along here...

Old barn just off west side of 522 toward Washington.

Countryside through which they marched...twice.

More along same route.

Approaching Washington, Virginia. He marched along here three times. The first was on the way toward Yorktown from

Leesburg. They had left Warrenton and cut across toward Washington, then on toward Sperryville not far down the road,

in May of 1862. The second was in the terrible heat on the way to Gettysburg from Fredericksburg in June of 1863 and it's

along here that so many men were falling out of line due to being overcome by heat. The third was on the way south after

Gettysburg when he was getting sicker every day.

I liked the very tiny town of Washington through which they marched so often. We parked and I got out and took

several pictures, the one above and the ones below, lining the street they would have marched along.

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