A heavy mist shrouds my way as I descend through a lush deciduous forest, enjoying a hike along the Appalachian Trail, ten miles north of the Potomac River in Maryland. Distinct edges emerge from swirling mass of white. I follow a fieldstone wall to a stone arch—and glimpse an empty tomb.

Ghosts afoot on the Appalachian Trail? Perhaps the makers of the Blair Witch Project knew their stuff when they filmed a promotional clip in Gathland State Park, where Crampton Gap cuts a narrow pass through South Mountain. I pause to talk to a park ranger. “I hope you’re not here about the Blair Witch,” she says. “I’ve had too many reporters here over the past few months. They don’t seem to realize the movie is fiction.”

But I’m looking for ghosts of a different kind—the echoes left by history. The estate of Civil War journalist George Alfred Townsend sprawls across this gap, a smattering of 1890s buildings tucked amid the maples, oaks, and spruces. Known as “Gath” to his newspaper audiences, Townsend served as a war correspondent covering the Virginia campaign for the New York Herald. He was one of the war’s youngest correspondents, and became modestly wealthy from his writings during the Reconstruction period.  Acquiring a hundred acres around Crampton Gap in 1884, Gath built his dream estate. One building was dedicated to a writing room and library. Another served as a lodge for visiting friends. Built from sturdy materials, native stone and wood, several of the buildings remain today; one houses a museum commemorating Townsend and his life.

Having turned a healthy profit from his writing, Gath felt it was important to honor his fallen comrades. Dominating the park is the unusual War Correspondents Memorial, honoring journalists and photographers who died while covering the Civil War. Built in 1896, it’s the only monument in the world that honors war correspondents. To underwrite the expense, Gath solicited donations from writers and publishers. Dedicated in October 1896, the memorial mixes unusual building styles and adornments—a Moorish arch of purple stone, Roman arches flanked by a square tower, niches with terra cotta statues of Roman deities, and quotations appropriate to the task of reporting about the war. The memorial is built on the site of the Battle of South Mountain, the first major Civil War battle in the state of Maryland. More than two hundred men died in the narrow confines of the gap when the troops met on September 14, 1862. A modern-day interpretive trail leads you through the gap, explaining how the battle unfolded.

When Gath’s health failed, he had to let go of his beloved estate. He deeded the memorial to the War Department, and died at his daughter’s house in Philadelphia. His elaborate stone tomb stands empty. Above its open door, carved in a marble slab, is his ultimate epitaph, the phrase that ended each of his correspondences—“Good night Gath.”


IF YOU GO

Gathland State Park lies south of I-70 in Central Maryland, 3 hours from Pittsburgh. From I-70 at Hagerstown, take Alternate US 40 east to Boonesboro. Turn south on MD 67 towards Harpers Ferry. Watch for signs for the turnoff to the park, which straddles Gapland Road on the mountain ridge.

Besides picnicking and exploring the remains of George Townsend’s estate, you can visit the museum, located in Gapland Hall (circa 1885). A driving tour (maps available at the park) highlights the multiple locations involved in the Battle of South Mountain. Civil War re-enactors frequent the park on summer weekends. Ambitious hikers can enjoy a moderately level but long (round trip of 12 miles) walk south on the Appalachian Trail to the Weverton Cliffs, where the rock outcrops afford dramatic views of the Potomac River.  A visit to the park can be coupled with stops at nearby Harpers Ferry, Fredrick, or the Antietam Battlefield.

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