The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1874-06-17
For the Dispatch
r,, xotes from '.0id Point >""A
~ ~" fort

a Few SoteS
,p,c,S OF THE NAME AND OF i"n ro"' =.
"H,u ,,,~csS N THE BUILDINGS, SOCIETY," &o,
SINCE 1860. &C. $3.50
Nv Eo.rp THE ELIZA HANcos, June 10.
few more notes OF my picaSah. s"!ou"
., "rld Point Comfort" may DC OF interest
to some of the readers Of the OiSpdtca.
was interested in recalling me n,S'o'Is
fact that the name OF "1e'm comlo't WIS
given it by the first coson,stS OF ''rS'h"eo
their exploratlng voyage UP inc 1a"i's va
1850, ION account o! t,r Sooa cna'ioe' gu"
safe anchorage il afforded ana thse u "Ss
afterwards called '%Aka' TO distinguish IL
from "Ncw Point Comfort"
The frs, fort built on "the Point " was
under an act of the House OF Burgesscs
y,,ssrd in 1929 use, from which the following
ouaint extract is gwen: Matter Of nort'f'
cations WAS sca,ne taken into consideration,
and Cap,ain Samuel Matthew's was content
10 undertake the raysing Of fort at foyN
Comfort. &c
The adm,rsl,of the French feet. Count dc
GrosSc. threw up some fortlIca,1onS EEeCe
iust before the S,ege Of Yorktown, and the
imnortance nC the position. as guarding the
entrance into Hampton Roads, caused the
erection OF Fortress Monroe. one o: the
largest and strongest notifications an the
world, and the projection OF Fort Calhoun
mt Rim. RapS, which is constructed apon an
island formed By casting rock anto water
twenty feet deep.
These two forts are only nineteen hun
drcd feet apart: the channel compeAs all yes.
sells TO pcss between then. aud The sno>t skill
full engineers of the day thought that no
man.oi.war could live under their concen'
fratcd fire. But they had net dreamed OF
The change which would be wrought ny
Brooke, inventive genius in constructing
the iron-clad Mrrrimac, or that. after the eN'
pendllure OF millions, Rap EdIs would bC
entirely abandoned. and Fort Monroe be-
come useless except as 4 very admirable ar'
tilery school and il charming residence !ol
officers and their families.
\ great many changes haze taken pace
here since. III the summer OF lSjo, saw the
bright array of chivalrv, beauty. ana tasn.
ion assembled at the old H."cia iiotcl.
The site OF that building is vacant. all CT the
buildings about the premises having been
torn doHn br the military authorities III The
early Part OF the war; but new, and. I'D
many IcsrectS, haudSonlcr hotel has been
built on the beach. aud the charms OF surt
bathiIr. salt brecZeS crabs, tIsh. dc, are rs
enjoyable AS Of yorc. One Is very much
struck with the difference in the company,
and misses many of the bellies and beauN OF
the South who made this place so famous in
the good old ante bellum days; but under
the efficient management OF the new pro-
prietor the Virginia and southern people are
coming back III large numbers. and "the
Point" fast gaining its Old reputation rs 4
first class watering-place.
spent few days there most pleasantly,
and only regret that could not stay Il month.
! left number Of Richmond people there,
and heard of others who are coming.
very much enjoyed ii walk through For
tre>S Monroe. The beautiful grass, the
splendid shade-treeS. the neat. comfortable
quarters of the officers and men, the huge
guns. the piles OF shot and shell. and the
magnificent view of the Roads aud the bay
one gets from the rampartS are worth going
long way TO see. And, then, enjoyed the
dress parade, the fine music, the movements
of the man with the big hat, the white
gloves. and clean appearance of the men,
aud the lace and feathers of the officers
albeit, did fluid myself sympalhzng with
little boy present, who sand II would
like it much better if they wore gray uni
forms instead of blue
must say that the drill was not equal to
what l expected to see in United States
regulars. The cadets ut the Virginia Mill
tary Institute can beat them badly in the
manual or their marching. aud have seen
much better performances on the part OF
some Of our old Confederate regiments. 4.
=. Hill, or j. 4. Walker, or j. +. b. Tcrrill
could have taken the old Thirteenth Virginia
regiment and beaten the drill saw yeStcr-
day with perfect ease.
There are now about 400 belonging TO the
garrison there (most of them artllCrymcD).
and large number of young officers at
tached to the "artilery school,
Quite town has sprung up between old
Point and Hampton. Besides number 0!
private residences, and the buildings OF the
" Hampton Normal and Agricultural lnsti-
tute," the National Soldiers Home" which
accommodates four hundred disabled Fede-
raj soldiers, attracts considerable attention.
The mircipal building of the Home was
erected Tor the Chesapeake Female Col
lege," which was owned by q joint stock
company, aud was in very successful opera
tion in 1860.
During the war or just after its close ii
was "ButIertsed" from its legitimate own.
ers and sold by 1.-THE Beast" (no doubt tor
large price, 10 the United States authori-
Ties. Every fiSnt-lDlGhllS Uan VIII fc]oice
that these disabled soldiers are cared for
but many will be so OLD. tashioned in their
notions rs TO regret tlmt they are provided
for at the expense OF the rightful owners O
the property. and that our - National" Go
vernment confines its benetactions (thougt
not its taxes in this direction TO only par
of the nation--thut none of the gallant Eel
lows who "wore the gray, and who she'd |
lustre upon the American name which slloult
be the pride of the whole country, can flint
shelter or support in these national" in
stitutions.
And while admired the beautiful 'Na
tionaI Cemetery" in which over four thou
sand Federal soldiers sleep, and would no
pluck one flower from their graves. coult
but express the hope that the day is not dis
tant when these cemeteries shall be made
national in reality, us wellas in name, by
sharing the appropriations so hvi>hly mad,
for them with the places where Diyouac oul
Confederate dead.
But we are passing Drcwry's Bluff and
steaming up towards our fair city, ard | lay
this aside that l may admire the points oil
interest that line The river shores.