Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1876-12-07

batteries here, upon the arrival of their horses
Gen. Barry took command to-day, and the
strains of martial music from the band at
dress parade and during the evenings will now
waken The echoes of the old historic build
ings which dot the grounds. The Washing.
ton arsenal teens with old memories, some Of
them of very tragic character. Passing
through the lofty gateway, made with cannon
set upright as pillars upon stone bases, we
come upon the two handsome mansion for
merly the quarters Of the commandant and
officers Of the arsenal. Between these is q
large and tasteful fountain. These mansions
formed the wings of the old penitentiary, and
here we're executed Mrs. Surratt and the other
conspirators. gsys
The centre of the penitentiary was torn
down and the wings handsomely remodeled.
Further on the visitor comes to large, old
fashioned brick edi6ce where General Bar.
ry's official headquarters will be. Some of
the officers are now quartered in the rooms
above. Here were the Offices of Colonel Nc
Mutt, the ordinance officer and commandant
Of the arsenal, one of the oldest officers of
the ordinance corps and classmate and in
innate personal friend of President Grant.
Here all the official business of the arsenal
was transacted under the charge Of Mr.. El-
liott Jones, Colonel McNutt's able and cour.
teous chief clerk. The troops mount guard
and drill, many of them with what is known
as the trowel bay Jnet, which can be used on
occasions as an entrenchment tool. These
"NEw.FANeLED' WEAPONS ~
look strange and hardly soldier-like, although
in close encounter they are terrible weap-
ons, capable Of inhicting most "ugly" and
deadly wounds. Throughout the grounds are
seen long rows of grinning cannon. Of bronze
and iron, with tier upon tier Of shot and
shell, those deadly messengers of death, lying
now supine and harmless beneath the bright
November sun. The clear blast of the bugle
rises at intervals above the din of preparation,
and tile sharp word of command. The meas
ured tread Of marching men recalls to men,
ory the stirring times Of former years, refer
ring to which it may be said Of the present
commandaut, General Barry, magma pars
quorum .fuit. Passing amongst the various
workshops we come to the square of build
ings at the end of the peninsula with its pref.
ty rows of lockwood in the quadrangle with.
in. These are some of the Oldest buildings
on the place; and they are now occupied by
troops, and in front of them lies, in strange
and nondescript row.. r, za5-g
A CYCLE OF HISTORY
carved in enduring characters, in the lsn-
guage of many nations upon bronze and iron.
Guns and mortars of curious and antique
shape lie scattered around. It was the fash
ion in old times to carve names and mottoes
upon the cannons, and give them each "a To-
cal habitation and name." One of the
mortars bears French inscription, "The
second year of the French republic;" snoth.
+ er LIE Mediuteur; another La Fauvette and
third, marked with the royal arms OF
France, Louis Charles de Bourbon, Compte
D'Eu, Due D'Aumale. One of the cannons
bears the Latin inscription Ultima Ratio Re-
gum, "the final argument of Kings" Span.
ish guns and Mexican, English and French
ones-some captured at Yorktown, some at
Niagara, and others at Vera Cruz, lie around
in inartistic confusion. Many of the French
cannon had seen service with Admiral Ro-
chambeau. }s...fg