Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1862-04-18
5cIelteo tflislrllann.
From The Ncp York Herald.
Sketch of yorktown and Vicinit

ginia, and is situated on the right bank
of the river, eleven miles from its mouth.
1t is distant from Richmond about sew
enty miles in an east-south- easterly di-
rection. 1t was settled in 1905, and was
once very fourishing village, but short
| ~ before the rebellion there were only
about forty houses in the place. The
shipping of the district to June 30, 1854,
amounted to an aggregate Of nearly six
thousand tons, enrolled and licensed, and
all employed in the coast trade During
that year two vessels were built there, of
two hundred and forty -six tons burthen.
This locality was the theatre of one of
the most important events in American
history, for on the 18th of October 1871,
Lord CORVALLIS surrendered the place
to the safe-keeping of Gen Washington.
York county is situated in the south
eastern part Of the State, at the entrance
of the York river into Chesapeake bay,
which together form its north eastern
boundary. The area of the county is
about seventy square miles, and the sur
face of the country is nearly Level and
undulating, much of the soil being very
fertile Large quantities of oysters have
been taken in York river, and previous
to the war the oyster fisheries were the
source of an immense trade with the
Northern States The last return gave
the population of the county at 4, AGO,
of whom nearly one-half were slaves
York river is formed by the union of
the Pamunky and Mattapony rivers at
the southeastern extremity of King Will
liam county, Virginia. After flowing in
a southeasterly direction, the river falls
into Chesapeake Bay nearly opposite
Cape Charles. The river is so broad
through its whole course as to present
rather the appearance of bay tl.an that
of river Its whole length from the
junction to its mouth isabout forty miles,
and at tie latter point it is probably not
less than three miles in width The
river divides the counties of New Kent,
James City Pnd York on the right from
those of King and Queen and Glouces-
ter on the left. The channel of the river
varies from twenty to eighty feet in depth,
and downward from Green Point TO Hog
Island the soundings are sixty, fifty-four,
eighty, fifty, seventy-fve and ffty-six
feet respectively, the extreme depth be-
ing opposite Yorktown itself.
Gloucester, which is Immediately OPP
posite Yorktown, on the left bank of the
York river. is a small and unimportant
village of Gloucester county, Virginia,
and is situated on the bend of York river,
near the exit into Chesapeake bay The
county is located in the southeastern part
of tile State, and contains two hundred
and eighty square miles. The Pianka-
tank river forms its northern boundary,
and the York river that on its southwes-
/ tern side The waters around this county
contain an abundance of fish and oys-
tiers, which fisheries, previous to the war,
furnished employment and subsistence
to a great number of inhabitants. Large
quantities Of oysters and wood were ex-
ported to New York and Philadelphia
The county was formed in 1912, and has
for its capital the little village of Glou-
CcSltI bputb llOuScy hultu ~ dDOub lGH
miles nearly due north from Yorktown,
and near the arm Of the Chesapeake,
which indcnts the land between the ri.
ankatank and tie York rivers. The pop
ulation of the county at last returns was
10, 527, of whom less than five thousand
were free, and the remaining five thou
sand five hundred and over were slaves.
williamsburg is city of Virginia.
and is the capital Of the county Of James
City. 1t is situated at about sixty miles
from Richmond, in an easterly direction,
and about sixty-eight miles northwest Of
Norfolk, on level plain between the
James and York rivers, and at equal
distance Of six miles from each. 1t is !
the Oldest incorporated town in the State,
and was and still is interesting in It's his
toric associations. II was the scat Of the
royal government previous to the Revo-
luton, and was afterwards the capital of
the State until 1899. William and Mary
College, founded at this place in 1892,
is the oldest literary institution in North !
America excepting Harvard University, |
and was, previous to the war, in very
Furnishing condition. The library con-
tanned about 1000 volumes, and the
students in attendance generally num-
bered from one hundred to one hundred /
and fifty Williamsburg is also the seat
of the Eastern Lunatic Asylum, which
at one time stood deservedly high for its
neotness, order and comfortable accom-
mediation.
1t had in 1860 about two hundred pa
tionts, and handsome edifce, with all
the modern improvements in arrange
ment. The town at that time contained
three churches-E piscopalian, Baptist
and Methodist. 1t was first settled in
1852, and the estimated population before
the war was about fifteen hundred. The
county Of James City contains one hun J