What follows is a fictional piece of writing from Toy Soldiers Forever!
Greenbrier Maryland was once nestled on the western shoulder of South Mountain overlooking early Boonsboro. Although no longer an incorporated town (absorbed in the 1920s by San Mar MD), Greenbrier in the 1860s was a tiny farming settlement at the junction of Greenbrier and Mountain Laurel Roads. Though diminutive, Greenbrier was a prosperous settlement, known for its fat hogs, generous farmers, and delectible watermelons.
Greenbrier crossroads in idyllic peace and agricultural abundance.
The machinations of Mars are visited upon this bucolic bower.
The tiny village had very few brushes with the with the disturbances related to the American Civil War, most notably during Lee's 1862 Maryland campaign when the town changed hands twice. The first time when rebels retreating from the Battle of South Mountain paused long enough to denude a watermelon patch only to encounter Pennslyvania troops at the opposite end with similar designs. Although the Yankees emerged victorious, Union General Nagle misplaced his Mexican War era sword somewhere in the vicinity, reported by more than one wag as last being seen lodged deep within a ripe melon. It is a matter of note that a statute honoring said swordless general stands today at the Antietam Battlefield. Noble Nagle sans blade, perhaps pondering a bygone melon patch.
The second encounter was in July of 1863 during Lee's fighting retreat from Gettysburg. A freebooting Confederate battery, acting without orders, strayed from the main Williamsport-bound rebel columns and struck toward Greenbrier owing to recurrent and reliable reports of that aforementioned melon patch.
Upon arrival in tiny Greenbrier, the rebels found themselves enjoying two feasts that day. The first involved their ill-gotten bounty of melons, and the second was precipitated by he arrival of an understrength regiment of Indiana infantrymen, marching straight into range of the masked Confederate battery. The foraging Federals found themselves blissfully ignorant of the threat that lay just east of the little crossroads village of Greenbrier.
Unit cohesion in this Federal unit was not good owing to the men coming from a wide variety of Indiana Counties including: Marx, Imex, Italeri, and the very backward Americana County. Many of these men were so-called "recasts" soldier slang for slovenly in appearance and unsoldierly in conduct. Despite the best intentions of their veteran noncoms this polyglot assemblage was about to come off tragically the worse for wear upon their first meeting with the storied "elephant".
Here then, in images, is in all of its terrible detail, a thrilling recapitulation of that brief but vicious action. The faint of heart may well wish to avert their eyes as well as those of the curious young.
The battle is joined
Confederate gun detatchments keep it hot as the forces of nullification quickly ram home double cannister in all four guns in expectation of the inevitable...
Greenbrier Maryland: the butcher's bill
During the night the detatched Confederate battery limbered up and discreetly rejoined their main column as it crossed back into Virginia with the rest of Lee's retreating columns. And as the sun rose the following morning the crossroads of Greenbrier were littered with the dead and the piteous dying.
Huzzah for our heros!
Greenbrier Maryland today
Hiking in the area of the former battlefield, and settlement of Greenbrier, one can scarcely realize the magnitude of events that touched this forgotten crossroads on that July day 145 years ago.
Only two structures remain, both long abandoned and caving in. These decaying buildings, an old foundation and some tumble-down stone walls are all that's left of this once prosperous little farming crossroads.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwXJrirxFQvXV7MiLWFH1wLQzofNZhmawDsKJ1ewtzZTk4SZD7ZIWT3owcyToDNBhC9YAJy0_uLM2XRuy80ip-TRn9LJqvrVlCSP-8uANScx23m4CC_HsS3eBDs4GpIRgJFn4RhDjY4MS6/s400/IMGA4137.JPG)
This house is believed to be that of farmer Farhney, the optimist in search of a bride so long ago. The other structure is reputed to be the last remaining outbuilding of the old Keedy place.
![](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUXwJ0yUuH31z4M47BEORKS10b6iZixMe-PSzWGk4pjk-fgKMymvJsxAqnpQT_0pxz3fprOQT7psPHre7vscqzn-wCfxXayG_4Oyg55526KLtVBlFJokKUINtRgkZTS1EhcCfjukuMlbvO/s400/IMGA4149.JPG)
This house is believed to be that of farmer Farhney, the optimist in search of a bride so long ago. The other structure is reputed to be the last remaining outbuilding of the old Keedy place.
The land is now part of Maryland's Conococheague Mountain State recreation area, closed to metal detectors, ghost hunters, and other such juvenile thrill seekers. To this day the location of the battlesite itself remains one of the most closely guarded secrets held by the residents of this very friendly though tight-lipped region. So don't even bother looking.
And remember, you didn't hear any of this from me.
Keep on playing!
Mannie
Mannie,
ReplyDeleteRed Cross markings on stateside ambulances in 1863 are very prophetic.
Clara Barton learned about the Red Cross in 1869, iirc the first, pretty much unrecognized publications were in 1873.
http://www.nps.gov/archive/clba/chron3/rcwhat.htm
while probably umarked at all, some rod of asklepios might be a more period marking (maybe a yellow flag, even more maybe with a upper case letter H)
Festus,
ReplyDeleteI can always count on you for cogent comments.
Yep,
What you mention, I'm quite aware of, and I thank you for the comment, but with these little battles I'm going way less for authenticity and more for the simple charm of the "out-of-the-box" nature of the soldiers and equipment that we all grew up with.
Thanks for stopping by, please continue to comment, and do expect to see lots and lots of similar anomalies!
Very best wishes,
Mannie
Mannie,
ReplyDeleteI have enjoyed reading your blogs from time to time and your new blog here on Toy Soldiers Forever has piqued my interest. I have been collecting history of Mt. Lena and the general area for some years now. I love the fictional piece that you did on Greenbrier. By the way, the log house you picture actually belonged to my husband's great grandfather, Martin Hoffman.
Thanks for all you do to make CW alive and fun!
Smoketown Chick,
ReplyDeleteI didn't see your great comment 'til just this morning.
And I thought no one would ever put the pieces together!
My wife and I occasionally walk down Greenbrier Road, and are especially intrigued by the house with the witch-flying-a-broom weathervane. That house is straight out of children's literature.
I'm glad you enjoy the blog, perhaps we'll run into each other on the mountain.
Best wishes, Mannie
This illustrated history lesson was fantastic. I enjoyed every frame of it.
ReplyDeleteOne minor quibble: It's "bated breath." Unless it smells like worms or shiners, I suppose.