Summit

I climbed to the summit of Sugerloaf shown here by these rock on the northern side and "reclaimed" it for the Carroll Clan ;0)
I thought of The Army of the Potomac which set an observation post here and sighted Lee crossing from Virginia. It relayed a message to Gen McClellan, who mobilized the army for movement to contact. He was slow, and many days later fought Lee in the gaps of South Mountain where he was further delayed while Lee had time to gather his divided Army of Northern Virginia behind the Antietam River for the bloodiest single day of combat in US history in September at Sharpsburg. One can still see the Potomac, where now a power plant is marked at the River by its smokestacks. The boys in Blue on Surgarloaf skeedaddled as the ANV approached. They were able to evade an infantry regiment approaching, but were later captured at Urbanna. A salute to them for their dedication to duty to observe to remain vigilant, until virtually the last moment, and report the movement of the ANV.
Likewise, I imagine I see those men in Gray assembling for the crossing. They believed their cause was a struggle to preserve those rights won by the first patriots, like Charles Carroll, and revolutionary soldiers, like the sons of Humberston Lyon, and to confirm their independence. More to the point the wanted to feed the army on the harvest and to recruit
Last night I was very pleased to see the Old Guard in Twilight Tattoo show two of its members in Gray vis a vis two in Blue and speak correctly of the nature of that struggle. It was right recognition that all in that Late Unpleasantness were Americans and worthy of our recognition of their valor, persistence, and various struggles and causes in the context of their day. They ought have a permanent place in our history devoid of latter-day incriminations. Sugarloaf will always be here will keep that struggle before the minds of her visitors who take note of her history

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