Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1878-08-20
By the Sad Sea Waves.

OLD POINT COMFORT, Va, Aug. II, 1878.
| AN writing this sitting in the porch CT the
old Hygcia Hotel, with the sarf breaking into
musical murmur on the beach. The waters
arc calm HOW, with only long rolling sWaGl5, ua'
rntt ID By ohopping waves or white capped bil.
lows. Away off can be seen the snowy sails of
the incoming and outgoing vessels, WIKI here
and there dark rolling cloud made By some
passing steamer. The ocean is as placid and
as Innocent looking as child, miEroliog back
only the suns rays brightly, and giving 20 sign
| OF its awful strength. Ga the ocean ; so sn!
ing DOW but SO cruel, so wrathful, 50 unpitylog
| 10 ks strength. How | would like to gaZ, be-
ncath its deeply blue waters and see its depths
| below. How much of hidden wealth Of sTe!s,
OF bars of ingots, lie ell untouched How many
staunch ships lie wedged 10 among the dark
ocz, at the bottom, With tral!lnG submarine
vines half hiding them from sight. Here, OF
| at the right, is where the splendid trlgate, The
| Cumberland. went down in 1862, sunk by the
Merrlmac, aud as the water poured 10 the Jag
ged rent made by the Confederate ram dead:
| y PROV, she slowly scutllad and settled and
went down With her ensign at the fore, aud as
the defiant cheers of her crew rose above the
thunder Of her guns, she disappeared beneath
the emerald waters forever. Gould the secrets
oil tho sea be revealed what a picture, bedded
fast ia the slime, the masts, the hulks covered
With barnaclcs, tho hold filled with Shiny claw-
ling creatures, the guns still pointed through
the port htles; out Of the muZzes hugo sea
crabs would crawl in and out, while to make
the scene perfect in its ghoslloess skeleton
heads would peer cut from the matches or
scoHl from the windows, their dead hands hold
ing in their booy fingers loog masses OF trailing
sea weed that seem TO twiue around them,
and to crowa the death heads in a|tu! mock.
cry.
Ooy yesterday, Oh Gshiog cxcurs on near
the Rip Raps, saw tue bcdy OF drowned
man tied By bis f.et to the wharf waiting tor
the coroner. The body had just been found
floating near with whola army Of horrible,
raycuous crabs !eastiug on the remains. lie was
dressed 10 decent black suit. There vas uothlog
ia his pockets TO tell Ct bis place, his birth, his
| name, ard after brief examination he was 10.
tered on the sand beach with pine stake ct
bis head, aud his only epltaph, as old Mr..
GuEuage would say--was droWoed And there
ia tbs waste CT barren sand baok he lies un.
kncilcd, uncoffined and unknown, leaving some
one We may be sure WalllOg, watching aud Won
dering where he is and when be will return.
I have never been sblo to cat dtyllcd crab
sCce.
Cd Point Comfort has had most brilliant
success this scason-oVor six hundred guests
for two moths, aud every available spot cccu.
pied. The reason ef this is quite simple. 10
past years Ga Point vas tatcocd by S7utbern'
crs /. was looked upon with dlstavor By our
people on account Of its being entirely "lnn-
kca' affair, aud all OF its guests were orthern
visitors. Now all IS changed. and Old Polnt
has regalncd all It's aDcient prestige, and is the
most lteqlcntcd Of all other resorts by |irgn
lars
The change eau be easily accounted for. This
year the manager is General Lindsay Walker,
and he is SO widely known, 50 popular, SO much
esteemed. that bis name alone has brought
hundreds Of Eireilians here.
Did sou tver see Lindsay Walker, VINO eJm.
;nauded the artillery OF the 81 co!ps, ard who
never lost but three gus during the whole war
Well he il the most idylo type Of o Southern
soldier and q Virginia gentleman combined,
that the old Dominion, proud as she IS cEn fur
nlsh Six feet four inches tall, with q pratlcal
beauty and daShlag mir, he stands among
men real son of Anak 10 statue AID in heart
| Old FredcricL, William would have paid roy.
ally to have had him enrolled in his tall grana.
diers, ADD Napoleon would have passed along
tho ranks and have chosen him TO lead . for.
lorn hope. lie is e real squire OF DANES too
uoa rs true as Sir Gaahad himself
Sitting Gu the broad piazza, having the triple
enjoyment Of fresh sea breeZ' sparkling mu.
sic aud good cigar, it is n pleasure 10 hear
Gen. Walker narTato bis old war anecdotes, for
lie is SPLENDID "rccJuLc8ur,' better indeed
than Gen. Bev. Robinson himself and though
neither have to
"Shoulder their crutch,
And sh5w how fields were lost aad Won.
yet they can wildly fight their battles over
again.
What ia your opinion of Stoncwal jackson,
[ asked Gen. Walker?
The greatest military genius Of the nineteenth,
! century he replied, and by the way | want 10
tell you an ancclote Of Oid Jack, and lighting
fresh cigar, the General commenced.
It was the batto OF Cedar Mountaio com.
mand7d regiment of artillery then. and work
ed my guns ur:ii the metal wss almost 100 hot
to hold the charge. There Was fearful iulan.
try fight going on, and Que Of our divisions was
broken all to pieces by an overwhelming onset
oil the Yankees. who had thrown a heavy force
on our front and faux. Seeing the disorder |
| left my guns and threw myself in front Of the
rctrea.ing division eud strove to rally them,
and was imploring, commanding and cursing
| CSpGCIatly 1t u leai u JUST tIeu L lclt q
hand 90 my shoulder. | turned, and 10 NY
| dismay | perceived Gen. Jackson. Knowing
his horror OF profanc language felt as if |
would like tho whole discharge of the battery
to strike me. can never forget him. One
| hand on 10y shoulder, for We were both mount
ed, the other raised as if 10 prayer, Instead of
q reproof, as [ expected, he simply said,
That's it Colonel, send them up
The next morning, after the battle, Gen. A.
P. Hill called me to visit old Jack 90 military
business. begged to be excused from tho
duty, aad told Gen. A. Hill the reason he
only laughed in bis quiet manner, aud ordered
me to ccme o. went With bin, feeling as
mean as adog With tin pan tied to his tail. Ga
reaching bis tent Jackson received US cordially,
and made 90 mention of yesterdays doings,
but opened the sutjc by sayiog:
General, | want to apologize to you tOr my
conduct yesterday.
You owe me no apology he said; on the
cnntrerv | am greatly indebted TO Won for ycur