The Civil War--Picket Duty

Dear Ma and Pa,
General Jackson has moved us farther north to try and get the yanks at Harpers ferry. We are so tired of all this marching. After leaving Hillsboro, we were real happy moving along Harpers Ferry road until we heard we had to do picket duty. I am told to picket this farmstead near the blue ridge. A nice environment really. The stewards provided us a map of the land so we can find our way about. Once we got the map we moved south along the farmstead to spread out our pickets. We passed a lovely field on the right with benches at the corner for people to speak at. There was the biggest mountain of cut logs I ever did see! The trail turned right after the logs, and kept straight at the end of the field. Jonathon went right to set on a rock. He said he would write you as well. The rest of us stayed with the path around the farmstead heading south. We soon passed a house on the left with a metal roof. The officers said they had the right to use that house seein that they had the rank. We kept going passing an old bridge trail on the left. The yanks must have destroyed it cause their was no way across except for horses. We kept spreading out along the farmstead puting red markers on the trees to find our way back if we lost our maps. After some time we passed another house. We got some chickens from the coop for dinner later. We kept moving on. We came to more paths all running together. I was told to head north up by yet another house and keep marking the area with red. The house looks like it won't hold up to much longer, but it's dry. I marked a two trunked tree nearest the northwest corner of the house, that was on the path so the others knew it was ours to use. I walked only 34 more steps up the trail to mark another tree red. This was far enough for me. I picked a nice two trunked tree 350 deg. and 11 steps north of my mark. I am standing picket duty here now. I can't wait to get to Harpers Ferry. From there we are supposed to meet up with ol' Bobby Lee himself in Maryland. I here he is moving around some lovely little village called Sharpsburg.
Your obedient Son,
Koy

Hike Length: 2.0 miles
Elevation Gain: 50 feet