Existing comment:
1861 -- War Begins:
Virginia seceded from the Union on April 17, 1861. As Virginia militia advanced upon the armory and arsenal at Harpers Ferry, Union soldiers under Lt. Roger Jones set fire to a number of the federal buildings.
"... there was a sudden flash that illuminated for miles around the romantic gorge where the rivers meet. Then followed a dull report, reverberating from mountain to mountain until it died away in a sullen roar."
-- Porte Crayon, artist and correspondent |