The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1867-11-07
FORTRESS MONRO
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE uEaALu.

FORTRESS MONROE.
>>~->~~~~~~~~~~~~~>o~>---
SPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE or THE HEaALD.
History and Descriptions Of the Fsrtress-Dis-
tinguished Rebel and Union Generals on
Duty Here Before the Wharf.-The Engineers
and Ordnance Departments and What Ii
Doing In Them-Prssens Coalition OF tho
RIP Raps and It's Approach to Completiou-
Quartersnaster and Commissary store
Houses and the Post Miiitar, Prison
"Reminiscences Of tho Past aud Scenes Of
the War Drama Enacted Here.
FoRTRRH MONROE Nov. 4, 1867.
Fortress Monroe is on peninsula A narrow neck Of
land saves being island Beyond this neck of land
extending to the dividing line between government
rtory and that owned BY private parties, several
acres used a. . cemetery. 1t is pleasant grove Of
cedar and pine. aad holly and spice bush and myrtle
and cnging IVY and grapevine peaceful burial
ground sheltered and shaded STILL near the per-
petual anthem OF the and through the sum-
months vocal with songs OF hooking birds Large
numbers buried here. including alike Union and
rebel soldiers and at every few PAGES stumbes
headstones marked s.unknown"-that saddess OF
all the sad records OF the Old Point Com
fort the pcnnsular point owned by tho govern
ment embraces about two hundred and nf,y acres
OF which seventy arc occupied BY the FORT and
nearly much by the moat As ia we'll know
this the largest fort In this country Its necessity
made evident in the OF 1912, although It was
seven later before Congress- through the urgent
snreates Of President Monroe from whom the fort takes
Its name could DO induced make the necessary appr
pria;ou for its construction. An elaborate description
Of the plan OF the fort 10 needless a this late day. and
beside this, have suspicion that to attempt 1t
the result would be painfully bewilderod juxtaposon
OF bastions and embrasures parapet and moat main
and possrn gaia. dawbridges and cascmates
magazines and barrackA and host Of other Of
equally technical and uninel!igble character. II is
enough to know that tho seeming rregularity to the
strangers eye Of is construction Is the capitalization
OF regularity ITSELF that In the multiplicity Of diverse
sngles marking its outline there ur X and fingers and
TO the initiated, looms up 10 view the deepest pro
fundity Of engineering skill. that in the pattern
and calbre of the guns, those iron watchdogs look
Ing from parapot and through embrasures is
revealed > vast expenditure OF warke erudtion,
and that In the of mounting them
the science Of cunning has been drawn upon to tho
fullest extent AL this OF times before the war But
the late taught lessons 10 the matter Of for
Monitors. iron-clads aud have revoutonzed the
system OF fertilization defences Ideas that once
were sound and tenable are old fogyish now As the
SLOW, numbering stage coach had 10 give to the
steam locomotive the pony express had to yield to
the telegraph, our forts to-day not the impregna-
BILE things they werc and 10 keep pace With the pro-
gressye spirit Of the age have GOT TO be differently
fashioned and thor power and efficiency FOR defence
strengthened and intensified
Az Fortress Monroe stands and the interim or con-
GLIDING experiments looking to alterations and improves
day. Is interesting place 10 look through, and
dton 70 augmentng new ideas OF the dignity attaching
government the req OF mill airy pow err
admits the whiting way nour two very pleasantly
and nstructivey. The bridge crossing the al the
main entrance the gray granite walls confronting you
the bayonetei soldiers keeping given guard a, the
portal aud officer in red sash, huge epaalctes
claagins sword, TO be met just inside the
trance and explained 70 aud solicited for passes,
give preliminary token Of the Character OF the place.
inside there abundant additional Indications OF this
every other color, the exceeding and almost painful pre-
CTS he brick aud gisveIed Walk and the military
exacttude OF every dwelling and loorsiap and porch and
pillar The very Chi nneys Ike dlcs soldiers and
the sections o; classmates divided plaioons the full
panopy Of rssulasics uniform TIE large plaza 10 the
dress parade martial air the Trees, al this
season. have full dross appearance aud the huge
circlng the parapct seems the gries OF sennes.
With baied breath almost thinking how thin IL the par
tltion between life and DEATH aud now quickly a spark
tnsn there are ~ rsmdd los OF cannon balls and All
the arrang for heating solid sho To- add the
general warike pctire takes great stretch of the
IMAGINATION 70 make war picture indeed 10 Summon
tue guns these soldiers idly strolIing about
their barracks 10 cal forth the officers from their
peted rasemaies and 70 f the air with shouts Of
mand aud thupder1e roar OF cannon But such
picture has mover been presented here ana what the
faclie easily conures up as possibly real
IL not very likely to prove reality Looking into
one easement y substantially seeing all the others rs
they are zisse, except the furniture which varies ac
coruing 70 the last VI the divers occupants and their
diaercn, degrees Of solvcncy Each cssemais has two
rooms front ard the other back the former twenty
-four by hitsen sLo half feet In size. and the latter
afteen and hag feet square There are archcd door
ways, arched ceilings, aud Ia each ac9ve two and
half feet by eight feet In Dimensions IN the front
there l. pleasant crate and two windows but the back
one, the noor walls and ceiinss OF which are all buit
Of stone, has crate. and the Light IL admitted through
an embrasure IN the outer wall looking Gown the
moat-;nc stone foor and embrasure being designed 70
serve eSra cannon 10 the possible contingency OF such
service being ever required. Altogether they badly
constructed, III arranged nennvenient, dismal and dark
places enough 20 1--we in, and all who can possibly avoid
living in them Do .. For tie commanding officer and
favorsd lev closely approximsng him IN rank, there
are three or fonrv plcasau; dwelling houses capacoIs
and coniottabs arranged and for thoss next 10 rsnk
and :sSortsm furnished very good quarters
M the Two RVS " yellow painted BRICK build.
rgs known Carrot ball nud he Tui'cries
IDdspeuaolc chapel and suffers esisb.
lshment and Teen there 4 library and billiard
ro3m--more agreeable probably, IL rdisponss bic
features hurry ~ these, ~ also the well upon
when reD are working s., with the same prospect
they have lad for years pastof disco scrng cni1a
soou ss they DO aalerard only stop tnoloen. take
glimpse 81 the seam ensro used for converting salt
va VI htg fresh, tne same used naval stcsiner
sno through whth fresh water V supplied 60 The gstr
son BHee'leni judgment cns-acierires tho style Of
hudiags cAasen 0r bafracs ani great order ana moot
mesa arc their prevailing characteristics inc hospital
4 sis..ea sld aoldy arrangements are yery perfect.
stfsn ttt.r y sny local IN the soldier me- '"
HIT sion sns. one sees INSIDE the fort proso.i.
itstli ' the Ysiot sroling aone these walks' anu
thfouga these barracks aud among lhcso
minister cannon into snccns chapel ant iorsss
and billiard rom, old scenes ard faces nt oeIore cnel
\ tls dIn 70 adow helyng 20 make up the lanoFams ~
the past II here General Robert H. Lee orougot
bs young bri0e, when he feit u an boucr W Nss mc
rh,uldcl Isps II a Second Lieutenant IN ths United
| states array. tsusrais Masrudsr and fem"e-on aud
| Mlf5acti Love, IN thoss days wn.n v nkht ana
| disoty aud Loasr .. IN amss'csn sDid,sr did duty
isrs end ~ ds tssuesai windsr ibs ciicf ovsodian
" Jscn ttsosv- daras tss wa. ana ssnrTsi uer. ~
Chei &; Coh,sfsste Ort nanoe Here 20, before th'