The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-06-06

IN pursuance Of The order Just rseeivss Pom Wash
inyton relative 70 the DEAN " ex-presoent
during the day, from sunrise 70 spnset when Q ma
uonsi salute viii be given. yhe nag win be at half
has been postponed to Monday afternoon next, at
ave O'Clock.
MAJOR General 7. W. sherman arrived here this
afternoon and WAS received with salute OF thirteen
The first class had a cavalry drill in squadron this
aie,hoon Inc appearance Of the class On Their
eVouti0ns was magnificent There were a large
number of spectators present, almost all visitors.
fell, carrying his rider with him and two other horses
That were behind His, Ieaped with their riders COM
pletely over HIM. "NobOdy hurt"
THE "GREAT CHAMP
] took stroll to-day among the csriostss That
have been accommodating here for years-mementoes
all Of great deeds done by the soldiers OF the Union
either on the plains OF distant Mexico or on battle
fields where scions Of this military household have
struggled in deadly strife one against the
other: and, although 1t may be treading on
the literary toes OF brainless scribes who
have lIme and again ID Lengthy spistss
to this place for the information OF the unsophstI-
Gated mere mention OF one or two things OF historic
out 's especial interest And certainly the sixteen
links OF the great chain" that swung the
which now form circular guard Of honor To the
cannon, lie MOnarque.n on the eminence near the
laboratory tell striking story OF the days "that
tried mems souls" During the Revolution the OBJ
struction OF the navigation Of the Hudson to the
British vessels was subject OF much study with
Washington and his generals Many propositions
were made, and many plans carried out 10 further
the end IN view hut all were attended with hut par
8er seen b e"a1 eSfc aco Se
was taken in the matter until February.
1873. when Hugh Hughes, Department Qnariermaster
General OF the patriot army by command OF General
Putnam entered into contract with the Stirling
Iron Works, OF which Peter Townsend was the mana
ger for the construction OF the chain. The contract
provided that f440 continental money should be
paid for every ton weight OF iron used in the work;
duty to construct II, and that the contractors should
Keep .'seven fires at forging and ten at weding'
until the chain was completed. In April OF the same
year 1t was finished and noated down the river from
New Windsor to West Point, where IL was
successfully stretched across the stream, and
each end firmly attached to great blocks
Each link was twelve inches wide, eighteen
long and the iron two inches square, and all buo,ed
up by logs sixteen feet long, which were placed
short distance one from the other and to which the
links were attached by huge staples Cables were
stable in its position. Two hundred and eighty men
were employed in stretching this vast chain over the
erected besides the permanent forts in the vicinity
each having full sweep Of the river near the oDstruc
ton and when an unfortunate British craft was
whired around the point by the rapid current she
was certain 10 swing against the chain and them
before she could be brought about, from every fort
and battery hilltop and shore SIDE the
deadly shot riddled her from stem to
stern. 1t is said that the traitor Arnold
when meditatug the surrender Of this place TO the
British had promised TO take link out of The chain
so that the encmy's vessels might get through. In
winter, when the river was filed with ice one end
OF the chain was lOOsened and the entire mass by
means Of a wndlass swung to shore. IL is asserted
that Governor George Clinton once walked across
the RIVER this novel British fighter. According to
Major BoyntOn s-the historian OF West Pontiac
count Of the final removal or the boom of the cnain
portion OF it became detached and the logs, being
water soaked sank to the bottom OF the river wher,
after being washed by the tide for eighty years,
they have been in part recovered" This
q
links weighing respectively $50 and l29 pounds two
OF the smallest 100 and 9s pounds, the medium
weight being III pounds. The entire chain weighed
1856 tons.
TIE CAPTURED CANNON.
In the vicinity OF lie MOnarque," the gun pre-
scented u Lafayette by Congress. there II number
OF mOrtars, siege guns and field pieces, fourteen of
hundred others from the Mexcans. The guns which
belonged to the latter are very peculiar looking
pieces and fort most part very long and profosey
the metal. Even the muzZles carved in the
most artistic manner, and the pOrtons-resembling
pitcher handles in form, by which, In the days when
Parrot and R0dman had not come to the surface Of
cannon imp Ovemens-they were slung into position
made to resemble heads Of dOiphins, snakes and
other equally interesting creatures. There one
gun among the lot, which In beginning to look very
regina, lI43' What the second word Of the inscrp-
ton II meant 10 indicate IL somewhat OF a mystery,
although 1t has very suspicious sound about u.
There II strange, and yet not strange, crcum-
stance connected with the captured Mexican cannon
and that 10 that they nearly all bear the name OF
strikes one in looking ar the cannon captured from
the rebels during the rebellion which are here ~
relics. But OF course the English have always been
our friends and 10 the least said about these cannon
the better. The celebrated gun which General Gil
more used against Charleston during the war ami
which finally burst from excessive ant-rebel energy.
10 also among the other field pieces. She half
sister to the .Swamp Angel" or which the Charles
ton folks know about. The Armstrong gum captured
Fort Fisher by General Terry, is mounted the
Flagstaff ana looks quite formidable. No wonder the
sight OF II made General Butler feel weak in the
knees