The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1878-09-12
Fort Monroe.

Fortress Monroe is the oldest fortifi.
cation in the United States. 1t was first
erected in 1929, by Captain Samuel
Mathews. This structure was kept in
repair until the war of the revolution,
when Count de Grasse, who came over
with Lafayette, put little French style
into it. The present Notifications we're
commenced under President Monroe's
administration, the old affair having
been destroyed during the second war
with England, and was called by his
name. There is wall of solid granite
twenty feet thick, surrounding an area
as large as q good-sized farm. Tho out.
side of the wall is as smooth and finished
as the walls of the Treasury Building in
Washington, and they slope at an anglo
OF thirty.eight degrees. Behind the
sails, on the inside, the earth is banked
up against them, and on their top is q
roadway, upon which i've or six wagons
could travel abreast. Under the walls
are apartments, both military and do.
nestle, furnishing plenty of room for q
garrison during siege.
Within tho Enclosure arc the barracks
of regiment of soldiers, and spacious
quarters for their officers. One Of the
officers houses was made notorious -
the residence, for short time after the
war, of Jefferson Davis. The rooms he
occupied are now used as Q museum, in
which arc exhibited a collection of relics
of the war, and military objects of later.
est. Here, too, is an artillery school,
where the young officers Of tho army and
the privates of this branch of the service
are educated in the science OF shooting
big guns.
Without the fort, besides the hotel a.
luded to is little village and several
huckster shops, sustained by the CARR.
son. The Catholics, with their usual
enterprise, have built church and raised
q cross upon it. There is also chapel
in tho fort, where chaplain OF the army
officiates.
A queer story is told about this
church, which stood here during the
war. While McClellan's campaign on
the peninsula was in progress, the con-
trabands focked down around Fortress
Monroe by thousands for food and pro.
lection. Ono night party OF them, who
had never seen q Catholic church, en-.
tered the building, admiring tho altar
and its equipments, and one, moro bold
than tho rest, put on the priest's robes,
which were hanging in q closet. He
stood before his fellow to receive their
when there was sound like
the breaking of window-glass, and he
Tell dead on the floor. The superstitious
negroes thinking he had been stricken
down by bolt from outraged heaven,
left the church in tumult, and when
the man was found there in the morn
ing with bullet in his heart there was
no ono to offer IN explanation. The
man was buried and tho incident for
gotten.
Months afterward, q message came
from the fort that soldier lay dying in
the hospital and wanted to see the priest.
The holy father answered tho summons
and went to the bedside Of the dying
man, who said he carried great crime
on his soul, which he wanted to confess.
The priest then heard the explanation OF
the mysterious tragedy in the church.
The soldier said that be was doing guard
duty on the fort one night, and looking
into the window of the church be saw q
crowd OF negroes surrounding one of
their number who had sacriligiously
the sacred robes. His musket
was at his shoulder, and, being . true
he took careful aim and shot
he negro through the heart.
"That was terrible crime to carry on
rour soul SO long," said the priest. at
g an awful thing to kill fellow being.
although, through ignorance, he Was do
ing wrong"
at want killing the nager that lay on |
ne sowl, your riverence," replied the
,oldier; ait was so unceremoniously |
putting bullet through the howly vest.
nents.