| From the New York Times |
| |
| July 17, 1861 |
| |
| Gen. Patterson's Column ***** Editorial Correspondence
of the New-York Times |
| |
|
***** |
|
I walked out yesterday to the depot of the Baltimore
& Ohio Railroad; and such a picture of wanton and reckless
destruction of property I have never seen before. Upon the double
track at that point stood thirty-seven locomotives, and a little below
were fifteen more, worth from $8,000 to $10,000 each. When Gen.
JOHNSTON retreated from Harper's Ferry, he sent Capt. LETCHER, son of
the Governor, with troops, and orders to destroy all these engines,
with all the cars and all the bridges on the road. They piled wood
under and around them, and set it on fire. The wrecked and ruined
locomotives still stand in the ashes upon the track. One of them hangs
over the place where the long and splendid bridge was burned. Not less
than $750,000 worth of property belonging to the Baltimore & Ohio
Railroad was thus destroyed in this vicinity. The only object of such
wholesale destruction was to prevent its being used by the National
troops -- yet Gen. JOHNSTON must have known that this could only delay
their movements for two or three days at furthest. |
|
***** |
|
H. J. R. |
| |
| {found at www.
nytimes.com} |
|