Harpers Ferry Bonus Episode: A Wildly Historic Boat Ramp!: Civil War West Virginia

[@aerofpv2109]

The soothing Dennis speaks and the high octane Gary films. What an awesome duo.

[@PatrickClarkin]

I find Dennis so compelling. He really captures the listener’s attention.

[@paulielase4995]

Dennis does an excellent job!!!

[@bitngeo]

Dennis - you are a truly gifted story teller. Well done!

[@KAldrich17]

Dennis is the best of the best, thank you for all you do for us historians. God bless you!

[@SuperPhester]

Dennis, Your words paint a great historical picture!

[@mikel917]

Outstanding!! I walked right past that pontoon bridge anchor!! I gotta go back!! Such a thrill to know that I walked where my favorite President also walked!!

[@charleydraper8656]

The way you tell the story, I was taken back in time, thank you.

[@2A-Bear-Arms]

If you like a good story teller, check out the Gettysburg video tours with ranger Matt Atkinson. That guy keeps you riveted for hours.

[@debpatriot9557]

Just discovered you tonight and I am so glad. You are an American treasure. Thank you for all this fantastic knowledge !

[@devrim4928]

Definitely learning a lot of great history from this channel, much appreciated!

[@larrylishman6038]

Just a Fantastic Presentation!!! Thank You!!!

[@markwright6045]

Wow !!! That scene brought all the players to life as if we were all neighbors. Thanks, MW

[@bruceschmidt3404]

Thanks Dennis and Garry! Great retelling of historic events!!

[@SenorEscaso]

Love Dennis's passion for history. Great video

[@samantharedden3906]

Thank you so much for a great history lesson!! All your videos are fantastic!!

[@timwilson3124]

Those rings just give a guy chills being able to touch them. Shout out to Gary for best line. "Where are the bathrooms?"

[@WindersRanger]

So much cool history in Harpers Ferry.

[@TacoLover1]

Thank you, his presentation is getting really good now!

[@dgr8zod]

That was worth not only watching, but to the end. Fascinating history

[@barbaraharshman9460]

Just love thisl! So much energy in your history telling.

[@ptaylor4923]

That's simply fabulous. I can just picture it. Wish I could go myself. I can see Lincoln coming across the pontoon bridge and walking over to the John Brown building where it used to stand. Thank you.

[@earthsciteach]

I am excited to visit Harper's Ferry again, now with so much more knowledge of the history!

[@andywomack3414]

Thank you. Great presentation.

[@helenwood1]

Terrific storytelling. Thank you so much for allowing me to listen to all this history on the July 4 weekend. I imagine all those beautiful stones were excavated, cut, and placed to some degree by slave and immigrant labor and all those men, one side or the other, and the President, who crossed over must have thought and spoken about that and all that it implied for the impending and uncertain future of this country.

[@stacyvonn8036]

Very knowledgeable and I absolutely love this video.... You deliver a excellent depiction undoubtedly..... Thank you Dennis..... Harpers Ferry is Absolutely Gorgeous....😊❤️💯🙏

[@nj81499]

Thank you very much. Great video. I’ve been to Harpers Ferry many times and always learn something new. Outstanding 👍

[@josephblumenthal1228]

The love you have for your profession comes across so clearly that it is contagious. I enjoy your shows a lot. I’ve learned a great deal and had fun doing it. Thank you

[@tugboat25]

Boy, Dennis Frye is Outstanding. Such great presentations. Real valuable stuff. Thanks so much for posting.

[@JackFlemingFan1]

Once again thank you for posting another of your excellent videos! Thank you too for showing and keeping alive the American Civil War and the history behind it! Having lived in Jefferson County, WV years ago I never really knew the history of Harpers Ferry and you have really opened my eyes to it!

[@kennethswain6313]

Wow, that was illuminating would have never know all that without you!

[@MarcENicholson]

Dennis and Gary, thanks for this great video. I've been to Harper's Ferry a number of times but never knew about the pontoon bridge and its access ramp point at the river edge (not to mention those iron anchor pins for the bridge still embedded into the river wall And yet that bridge time and again proved a crucial communications link....for both sides. I'll definitely take a much closer look the next time I visit Harper's. This was a fascinating look at something not well enough known.

[@bf9414]

outstanding! man, I watch this over and over

[@elvirabudda]

Great show. Cheers!

[@mikealoha3371]

Well done Dennis. Such an obscure site, no one would know the history walking past.

[@Qigate]

Great video... Harper's Ferry and Maryland Heights at two of my favorite places. Thanks for the history.

[@cvcoco]

Really enjoyed this! I love the Civil War and the stories add depth im always craving.

[@kirkrussell8722]

Love your videos and the secret places you show us. Please show us more places the most tourists dont or cant go.

[@dadsongs]

Dennis: I thought your heart-felt and personal presentation of the Dunker Church was great, but this is nothing short of fantastic!

[@jochenbecht6191]

Thanks my friend. Take care and god bless.

[@jbflores01]

Absolutely fascinating! great video series!

[@vickibacon7489]

Thank you, I've enjoyed following your journey

[@TheNewBowunter]

Dude! Love the way you tell the stories. I was mesmerized and it gave me goose bumps!

[@Brace67]

Fascinating story and told with great enthusiasm and obvious knowledge of this area.

[@jamesbednar8625]

Awesome video series of the Harpers Ferry area and more. Hope you come out west and cover battles fought west of the Mississippi River in states of: MO, AR, KS, NM TX, LA.

[@lefin3730]

Fantastic stuff, thank you so much. Very informative and engaging.

[@Knards]

Incredible history very well told

[@davidstepeck2644]

We did a reenactment here with the 138th Pennsylvania around 2009. You have me so excited Dennis, that I want to drive down from Connecticut tomorrow. Awesome video Dennis.

[@louisgunn]

a great historical gem, if those stones could talk, a visitor from GB

[@michaelmorgan9824]

Thank you Mr. Frye great video!

[@billlawrence1899]

Man! I love you presentations. You tell it so well. I grew up on the Manassas battlefield, and have been aware of Harper's Ferry since I can remember, but never visited there. Only rode thought on Amtrak a few times with a 10 minute stop there. Now you got me hooked. I never heard of Dixon Miles, so I looked him up. Seems you left out a few things. Yes, he was a long time Army officer ( 42 years ) but from what I read, he was not well thought of either by the higher ups or the men under his command. Apparently there was an alcohol problem. You know more than I do, so I'll stop there.

[@billlawrence1899]

One more thing. I am really confuzzled. You said McLaws men crossed the pontoon bridge from the Maryland side into Harpers Ferry, then high tailed it up to Sharpsburg. Maybe I need to look at a map, but isn't Sharpsburg on the Maryland side of the Potomac, but he crossed in to the Virginia side? HUH?

[@VIRGONOMICS]

Mr.Frey, I appreciate these videos so much ! My family roots on Moms side go to West Virginia- Mom spent time as a kid visiting relatives in Weston, WV . Her Grandparents; The Frye & Clem Family. I’m a new subscriber and look forward to watching more historic American battlefield history . Best regards -

[@usmc-veteran73-77]

New subscriber. Thank you so much for teaching us about our American history.

[@VIRGONOMICS]

Fantastic ! The Best !

[@lanced3256]

Great on-site lecture sir . You certainly have an aptitude for this . I really enjoyed it Thank you!

[@johnappleyard4123]

Great story!

[@blukeblue1235]

Love your talks.

[@charleydraper8656]

Dennis Frye, Is The Man....

[@assenort]

Great guy!

[@andy_travis]

AWESOME!!!!!!

[@fryuppe]

Absolutely brilliant! Thank you.

[@bobojosh]

Great stuff!! Will be there soon

[@JohnAlberts827]

I was there in September and it was jaw droppingly beautiful, though all the little flies weren’t so much.

[@tomdynia9951]

Very cool. Thank you!

[@mathewhephill8686]

Great job

[@beister21]

Amazing

[@ephraim2793]

Fantastic job!

[@criticalthinker1314]

If you play the game ‘War of Rights’ you can see a really good recreation of everything described here including the pontoon. Amazing to hear about it.

[@tm9184]

Good video. Thanks. They should clean up the ramp to restore it a little more.

[@popps2502]

Outstanding story cool history lesson.

[@brucesheehe6305]

Excellent Video!

looks like a good place to fish. think I'll go down there next week

[@johnbrown4937]

The carved rock sine I would have missed .glad you pointed it out ...mennan talcum toilet powder.....glad I never used that stuff. .was deadly asbestos powder great job on the videos

[@tberkoff]

Hey Dennis. Where were the Brown Raiders initially buried near the town? I read it was outside of town and near the river. They were removed in 1899.

[@danielc5205]

I love history. Also, how do you keep the scumbags from vandalizing sites like this?

[@johnnytoobad7785]

Been to HF twice...went to the armory area but never made it down to the boat ramp. (dammit!). I always wondered what that sign said !

[@FrankensteinDIYkayak]

It would be so nice if NPS would open that boat ramp back up for locals. On longer kayak trips upstream and downstream stopping for lunch there at local cafes would be nice.

[@redj59]

Awesome

[@Luciddreamer007]

Dennis tells a great story Need any help cleaning up that boat ramp ? I can be there with my mower & weed eater ASAP !

[@INdifrnve]

Love this guy. So great to see such passion for history. Anyone know who he is?

[@avenaoat]

When I started to be interested in deeper in the Civil War and the Antebellum history,, I have met Harpers Ferry surrender I thought If I had been the Northern general I would have sent to escap a less group of soldiers. I have recently found knowledge a Mississippian unionist oficer leader with cavalry men escaped to North and confiscated Logstreet's supply with trick.

[@outdoorlife5396]

I have a question, why did it keep changing hands in the war? It looks like it was shot up pretty good and the factories were not replaced, due to enemy threat I would think

[@charleydraper8656]

I would love to move to harpers ferry

[@sawboneiomc8809]

Just found you channel...hit that subscribe button like 4 times!

[@noahhamilton9390]

The way Dennis has handled artifacts in these recent videos makes me nervous lol great stuff tho!!

[@stubaker2574]

that metal eyebar at 10;50 was used by pontoon bridge and it was the anchor but...i think it was done before the war as it's been drilled and bent to come back through the wall as the wall was built probably a few years before for whatever the reason..right? is there records to support either musing? just wondering..

[@crixxxxxxxxx]

I kept worrying he was going swallow one of the flies.

[@marcuswardle3180]

What is interesting is that there is a pathway by the river on the fort side. The photo he showed did not have it on. Is it man made or has nature created it? As for the pontoon, has anybody carried out any underwater archaeology along the line of where the pontoon would have been. People throw stuff away.

[@chipcather4042]

What's your showing there is actually The Landing for the first bridge at Harpers Ferry. It was called the Wagers Bridge it was built by Lewis vernwag a German bridge builder Millwright. He built many of the Mills and water turbines in the area. When the water gets very low in the Potomac you can see where the original pilings for the wager Bridge were. Mr. Wager try to sell it to the railroad when they first started showing up they were not interested totally unsuitable for them way too low. Also when the water gets low in the Potomac you can spot pieces of The bellman truss the first metal railroad bridge successful in North America laying in the bottom of the river.

[@OldePete]

Did I hear that right? McLaws crossed the pontoon bridge and then marched to Antietam on this (west) side of the Potomac?

[@jamesstark8316]

Yup. He marched up the west side to Boteler's Ford just below Sharpsburg and crossed. Lot easier and quicker than the east side of the river along Harpers Ferry Road. If you ever get a chance to drive it you can see why - very winding and narrow road these days. Can just imagine its condition in 1862.

[@ptaylor4923]

@@jamesstark8316 The winding would literally add miles to the trip.

[@OldePete]

@@jamesstark8316 Thanks. I would have thought the Canal towpath on the east side would have been used. Then I guess AP Hill also travelled the same way as McLaws?

[@K3VIN21]

Crazy you would think nothing was there before for hundreds of years ?

[@njaneardude]

Answered my question 😄

[@craigmignone2863]

One of the grand divsions was never used on Sept 18 against LEES finished army and that would have ended the war

[@pilates68]

Was it actually true that paroled prisoners would no longer re-join the fight??? Please expand on this.

[@ThelifeandtimesofBarneyTaylor]

Cool

[@rezzer7918]

In Dixie Land I take my stand to live and in Dixie

[@CraigLYoung]

Don't mean to dispute your aesthetics for stone work but there is better examples of stonework on the C&O Cannal just across the river.

[@Houndini]

To this day I still amazed at some WV stone works. How my Dad got us to that spot when I little boy I don't know. But I was right there late 60's early 70's. I think nobody said nothing to us we walked right over I guess.

[@jerrybutler1336]

great job, we need to get those weeds taken down cleaned up...................

[@greglarry11]

Anyone here because of the "Good Lord Bird" HBO series?

[@Cameron-o2w]

Abraham Lincoln and John Brown, the two most bloodthirsty thugs in American history.

[@Fixingtodraw]

The United States Marine Corps took out that lunatic John Brown Oorah