Day 321 7 hrs, 15 kms Boonsboro, where I left off last time has a cozy, almost frontierlike charm, nestled up against the wooded moutains and with a rather rustic Main Street. Here is where I'll bid a temporary farewell to the Cumberland Valley, and head over the ridge towards the east.
On my way up the hillside, I spot a stream with a waterfall down below ... even though it's early in the day, I go ahead and take a pause for reflection and to enjoy the moment. If it were later on in the day, I'd definitely go ahead and hop in for a splash. Nice to be closer to nature again, after miles and miles of towns and farmland.
At the top of the ridge is a turnoff to  "Washington Monument State Park". I, as most people, think of Washington Monuent as that pointy thing between the capitol and the Lincoln Memorial in DC. But no, it's not the only one... other states also built their own memorials to our first president.  
My expectations are pretty low for this one--but I decide to make a detour to take a look. I follow a road to a parking lot and museum with a footpath up to monument at the top of the ridge. Nah... the monument won't be winning any awards. It looks like a giant milk jug made out of uncut stone--something that could've been built during the stone age... No great engineering feat here.
There is a nice view of the Cumberland Valley--looks more like a vast plain than a valley, with another wooded ridge, far, far away . In between is farmland, forest some of the towns I've visited along this hike--although they're a bit hard to make out. 
Then comes the coolest part of my little side trip. I happened to have come at just the right time, when a young fellow dressed in Civil War uniform is about to put on a demonstration.  
First he explains and demonstrates how signaling worked. During the Civil War, teams of signalers would relay messages from hilltop to hilltop--all the way from here to Washington, relaying vital information. From this hilltop important information was transmitted about troop movement leading to the battle of Sharpsburg.  
I ask if any signal team was captured, and he says yes--but they managed to destroy their codes (which had to be changed frequently) in time.  
Then he goes on to show a bit more of what life was like as a soldier, showing their daily rations--8 "hard tack" crackers (which apparently never expired, the leftover crackers, stored in tins were served to soldiers 35 years later in the Spanish American War! Also, green coffee beans were popular--which meant that the soldiers had to roast their own coffee on the road ... 
Interesting how some modern day companies got a boost during this era. Goodyear? they provided the army with rubber bedmats. Nabisco? they provided the hardtack.   
After the other folks leave, I ask a couple more questions--as this fellow really seems to know his stuff.  "Did the soldiers do a lot of raiding to make up for the shortage of supplies?"
"Yes, this was very common--it was pretty hard for Northern farmers to get compensation after being raided. First they had to prove that it was Union troops who did it (if they were raided by the south, they got nothing) then they had to prove that they were loyal to the Union, which was often not the case in Maryland. In this area, many people lost their homes, because, after having their homes looted, they'd go into debt, then after the war, the banks would repossess their homes... The damage assessors could be some really crooked folks as well..."
So that was America's original "housing crisis"!  
He continues.  "When the South would raid a farm, they'd sometimes try to make it look good, by paying people in useless Confederate script . That way they could say that they weren't actually 'stealing' from people"
Ah yes... a "gentlemen's" war...
After thinking I knew everything I wanted to know about the Civil War, this insights are actually quite fascinating. I'm going to count this as an "interesting encouter"...
So I continue on following the Appalachian trail... for 1 mile to the main road. I could just continue on south along the trail, but I've decide that the city of Frederick is worth yet another lengthy detour. Along the way I catch up with a fellow and his dog loaded with gear. No, he's not a "through-hiker", he's from Baltimore and just hiking for 3 weeks to get away from the city. Apparently he's not very interested in socializing, as he picks up the pace, I guess, to get away from me...