Harpers Ferry: A Visual Collection

By Stephen M. Cobaugh
Illustrated, maps, softcover, 102 pp., 2006. dmg Donegal media group, 231 School Lane, Elizabeth, PA 17022-8111, $23 ppd

Reviewer: Blake Magner
Blake A. Magner is the Book Review Editor of Civil War News. He makes his living as an editor, writer, cartographer and photographer of Civil War history. He is author of At Peace With Honor: The Civil War Burials of Laurel Hill Cemetery, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

Review:
This slim volume is full of beautiful images of Harpers Ferry and its surroundings, with the photographs being the major focus of the volume. The text is limited and informative.

The volume covers pretty much the entire history of Harpers Ferry from the Indian inhabitants to attempts to save the site from developers. Thomas Jefferson once commented during a visit to the area, "This scene is worth a voyage across the Atlantic." The likes of George Washington, Frederick Douglass, Meriwether Lewis and Abraham Lincoln are only a few of the historic figures who visited the town.

Cobaugh looks at the village, the C & O Canal, the B & O Railroad, and the Potomac and Shenandoah rivers. However, the book's major focus is John Brown's Raid and the Civil War, specifically the 1862 siege.

A section at the end consists of numerous interesting facts about Harpers Ferry and its history. There is also a section of information useful to the tourist ranging from attractions and services to places to stay.

If you are planning a trip to Harpers Ferry, author Cobaugh's volume should be part of your baggage.