The New York herald., 1879-10-23
A Preliminary Celebration
Arranged for To-Day.
WHERE CORVALLIS SURRENDERED
Programme Of Naval and Military Exercises
Speeches and Free Banquet.
lBY TELEGRApH TO THE HERALD ]

tomorrow The United States fleet is anchored OF
the town in the York River. Visitors are arriving
by every steamer i'll the hope OF securing good quar-
ters but they find the two hotels OF the town already
filed with journalists, artists and sightseers OF
evory class and description. The army. composed
of the regulars from Fortress Monroe. and the VOL
unteer organizations from Richmond. Norfolk.
Portsmo outh Hampton and other points will arrive
in the morning. and to these Will 10 "ooeu
large crowds OF excursionists from Nor
folk. Baltimore. Washington. Richmond and
Philadelphia and people from all tho sur
rounding counties of Matthews. Elizabeth Clty'
Gloucester and Warwick will doubtless throhs III ny
the hundreds. 1t is estimated that fully ten 'nou
sand persons will be present. SO far the managers
have admirably succeeded in getting up hrst class
centennial "boom" for Yorktown in 1851 Inc en-
tire populace of the Virginia peninsula are perfectly
delighted by the grand efforts being made for to-
morrow's celebration and it is quietly intimated IN
certain circles that the patriotic affair OF tomorrow
will not be devoid OF beneficial results in financial
point of view.
coNGnEss TO BE ASKED FOR MONEY.
It is the "old flag and appropriation" over
again but in this instance historic Yorktown, i'm
poverished by war and disaster. deserves some
strong and substantial consideration from the ma
tions legislators. Congress will be asked to make
IN appropriation under the old joint resolution for
the erection of a suitable monument on the field
whore Lord CORVALLIS surrendered to Washington.
which. of course will be done. But this is not
alone what Congress will be expected to do
for Yorktown's centennial. am credibly informed
taithough this has been kept very quiet for the
presently that bill will be introduced in tho House
OF Representatives next session by Mr. Goode. pro-
posing to appropriate the modest sun of S250000 to
make the celebration in 1881 D success commensur-
ate with the great event to be commem Grated. This
Is considered o reasonable request in view OF the
enormous amount granted to the Philadephia Cen.
tennal. though how the Vrginians propose to refund
the money is not yet well defined. At any rate tho
average virginian of York county proud of the his
toric landmarks of his county believes that they
entitled to this handsome little sum for their
tennial, and they hope members of Congress, OF all
parties, will be of the same opinion.
FRENCH ALLIES TO BE- INVITED.
1t is further i'll contemplation to endeavor to in
terest the French in the centennial cele
braon, to tho extent of sending fleet, and perhaps
aregment or brigade OF French soldiers to partic-
ipate in the ceremonies made memorable by the
Count De Grasse and Lafayette. Tho citizens here
and in Norfolk who have the scheme in charge. arc
enthusiastic in the belief that the fourishng
sister European Republic will cordially cooperate
with them IN 1884, and that the an
cient town will once resound to the
martial tread of French and American armies, and
that the waters of the York River will be enlivened
with French ships commemorating the glorious
deeds OF their ancestors u century ago. To-day
visitors rambling over the village intensely in
tercsted in the quaint and i'll some cases dilap
dated. houses. old earthworks, the famous redoubts
to the south of the town captured respectively by
the French and American armies and the two holes
in the river bank called CORVALLIS Cave. The
tradition IN regard to this cave, to its being
cave ut all, must have had its origin i'll the
Imagination of some individual of inventive genius.
There is nothing cave-like about it, and il il
listed In CORVALLIS time the only use that could
have been made of it must have been rs a bomb
trench, and very poor at that, as it Is exposed
to the ire of ships from the river Tho owner of tho
land upon which it is situated, however, drives
thriving business in charging fifteen cents admls
zion to witness the interior of the two holes, and
nearly every visitor patronizes him.
YORKTOWN IN 1879.
The Yorktown Of to-day differs very little from
that of u century ago. except that II has grown
south bank of the York River and about twelve
miles from it's mouth. The plain about the town,
intersected by morasses and ravines, is thickly
studded with earthworks. tho remains of the fortif
cations erected here in the Revolutionary War.
are in some IN & paees oyer ey ,ha IN
more extensive intrenchments made by the
federal and Confederate armies during the late
The town. embracing. perhaps, one hundred acres,
Is, but enclosed fort and it's heavy redans
aud moats still in excellent state OF preser-
vation. Tho most noteworthy objects of historic
interest in the town some OF the old colonial
buildings. The most imposing of these is the an
cient residence of General Nelson known as the
Nelson house, built of English red brick, with high
pointed gables. three stories-a mansion OF great
dignity, and in most excellent condition as to
durability and service. Then there is the odd
brick custom House. through which New York
New Amsterdam) onco imported her foreign wares.
Below and to the east OF the town, and about mile
distant stand the ruins of the old house in which
arranged the articles OF capitulation between
Washington and CORVALLIS. The military student
hnds great deal OF interest i'll examining the old
and methods of constructing fortilcatiops,
the antiquarian in inspecting the Indian relies IN
which the country also abounds. and other objects
reminding OF the old colonial days.
REcoLLEcTIoNs OF AN OLD COLONEL.
In strolling about the antiqusted village CHANGED
to tall in with an old gentleman who volunteered to
show tho adjacent works and other places
OF note. He and his conversation proved almost as
interesting the historic surroundings. He was,
OF course, colonel" and his urbano. dignincd
manner showed him to be "true Southern gentle
Magruders earthworks just outside the village. he
said, pointing to bit OF rising ground
near by. Just there l fell in with
my volunteer company to receive General Lafayette.
when he was the Lations guest and attended our
celebration in 1924 1t of course on the 10Th of
October. After dismissed had the honor
TO shake his hand in old General Nelson's house
there where he quartered the occasion. 1t Is
long time since then, he said, land know of no
living member of that company to-day. These mod
ern eafthworks we are now on are placed as near as
my memory can serve right on top OF some OF those
Cornwals left behind him."
A we returned to the village left him and
entered an old brick building he pointed out the
Oldest custom house in the United States. 1t GER
tany had the advantage of the comparison with Its
modern successor across the sreet--a long low
frame building with the revenue flag dying over 10.
The dignlhed old cdhce. with its massive walls OF
imported bricks and ovcrhanging hip roof, has,
however. degenerated into country grocery store
of most moderate pretcnsions. The proprictress
was rather young woman. who said her family
was about the only one that had stayed here
throughout the war. She spoke IN the most kindly
terms Of the way thoy were treated by both armies
during the regretted the lack of enterprise and
push displayed by the people of the place and
tiou. aud brought the usual Southern panacca of
'sNorthcrn capital" to the front. with every
natural advantage of water and soil all We want is
capital" and. with sigh she said, "May be this
centennial will give us start" hope it will.
but afraid it will take than
Northern capital to make the sandy soil fertile
or put the necessary vim into the inhabitants. They
certainly have magnificent river at their doors
more than mile wide with water to float any vessel
In the world. and filed with fish and delicious oys-
ters. by the way. one Yankee industry has crept
into this region In the shape of menhadon fisheries
there called alewivesl and oil factories quite extern
sive works being in operation just to the southward
on tho mouth OF York River.
NAVAL AND MILITARY EXERCISES.
The flagship Powhatan. accompanied by the Kear-
sarge and Marion, left Hampton Roads Monday morn.
ing for Yorktown, and were followed in
tho afternoon by the sailing ships Sara
tooa and Portsmouth, which unable