The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1881-11-03
FOR the F.R~ER AND MEcHAsfc
Yorktown, as seen by one Of our
Raleigh EXcursionists.
NORFOLK. EIRGfSIA. ATLANTIC :
H. o. ~ LII /.

Ho.RL- Oct. 81. Issl.
Thinking that perhaps many Of your
numerous readers, who were not present
al the yorktown centennial. would be
! Interested 10 some account Of the grand
ceremonies Of that occasion the 18th OF
10 L 1871. We tender the following brie'
.ketcu for IT, columns of your valuable
AID highly appreciated reper.
Leaving Norfolk on the lno.n'og u
HE 10Th. 80 took shipping TOR York
nsn ~ the Eh5t Uf"cDr, IN" 4 he
4 81 and fastest steamer u the DID
y ,nIuiun Line. >te4iulug NJ the
r. zahctlr river. We .oon I'll ~ VIII
4 beautiful little Baltimore 4cht efth
which We had a closely contested an
h ghly exciting race. until ~ p4-~ei
grim old For r - Monroe AMI til Ri
K -. she then dropped - the rear
and wa heard no more. About th :
itiue.-th4t Is, Just above Oh Point, ~
Iogr steanIer began to roll heavily III the
go;te crested pillows Of the bay, and
Young children, lovelj ladies'. and
'~Dng men fell victims 10 that ali terri
b. i. Send. sea sicknes but truth fore.
II. to -ay that We strongly sli.l cct that
t4lJ-t pt the strong men, sJ-catied. owed
;heir downfall not u the heni LEA SICK :
ae-s. but rather 70 the demon shEkey,
> Gdroii North Carolina corn.
Proceeding up York River. it wa not
long bc.orc-far 10 the dl-tauce-mlght
BE- seen a great forests Of ma-ts and
arars-cl0ul. Of dust and smoke curing
~hcavcnwari from the team III the
harbor, and the white ten s Of the sol
,iery high W on the bluff, which pre-
euted to the water side a perpcntIcI-
iar froat gilmore than one hundred ct
Soon we were gliding gracefully among
the magnificent steamers, powerful
Irl.ates. monitors with their revolving
tu-rets, irjn rams AMI torpedo boats
which formed the grand Naval pageant
II this occasion, and In a few minutes
more found ourselves upon the terra
irma Of the now world renowned York
town. Starting from the landing we
sauntcred leisurely towards the camp
and grand stand, both OF which "ere
situated two miles distant. We dete.
mined to study the place and IT. people
a little, before Important matter, should
engage our attention. Ii l. j very
small place, hardv entitled To the name
Of village, aud con-iiering it aside from
all the p0mp and show OF the Centen-
NAL, We were struck with the apglIca-
bl.ity ct Spencer's lines =
No other noise, nor peoples troublous cries,
A. stiI are wont Z annoy the wall Town,
Aiig. | there be heard, bat careless Quiet
Lies wrapt in eternal silence far from enemies.
The light, clayish. sandy soil was cut
TO the depth OF seven or eight inches
and literally ground into powder. The
dust was terrible. Charterlng au oli
buggy that must have belonged to
Washington ) great-grandfather, drawn
bv a vicious mule we say vicious for
you know they are generally very docile,
that looked like be had pulled a piece
OF artillery through the Revolutionary
The scene Oh the road to the camp was
iudicrous ia the extreme-every old We
hicle Of whatever description for twenty
miles around had been called into re
QUESTION. Gay colonels. leutenants,
captains, staff officers, whose dignity
might seem compromised by such a
mode Of conveyance, were seen riding
10 OK carts, mule carts. ct cctera. We
first visited CORVALLIS cave, situated
the water side at the base, and ex-
tending under the aforesaid bluff. LII
consisted Of two COMPREHENSIVE
about twenty feet long by twelve
wide, the smaller. 4X6, connected with
il by a small doorway. This is
said to have been his bed room. Pass
Ing On, we entered an old grave yard
when seemed to be attracting much at
t%en;ion. Around u were many tomb
. Ll, ,,,r,at -, -, frr,,.. md U
covered with the damp green of years,
the inscriptions upon them almost ef-
faced b. the reuOrscie-s hand Of time.
oue which most of ali
nee ed the chi>cl OF al Old Mortality
Sas i crowd. and GU drawing near we
cal the iGulotinct and >hiduwy word
Here lies the bU.iy Of James Henry.
IA contemporary Of Patrick Henry,
Judging from the date, no doubt i reia-
ion. thinking 81 our friend Mark
rSa:l weeping over tie grave OF Alan,
Se were tempted To a~fonlsh the crowd.
buI tearing the suspicion, If not the
:Ear-. OF egorI>m. We retral red.
Turning from lhjs gloomy place. an.
throwing aside tin. SAD feelings there
ENGINEERED. We next attended the place
arranged for the ceremonies OF the day
md listened to the speech of the Hoo
Robert &. Winthrop, of Massachusetts
Il production which VA finished. cha,Te.
and ca->ical tit. IN cur humble opIn>
Ion. t. rauk with auy American produc
ton taat has precelcl ii, even though
..c Of the great Wcbter's himself
The rendition IF the Centennial poem.
writteu by Mr.. james Barron Hope, VI
Norfolk. aud the singing Of the choir Vi
three huudied voices at The teutennla
ole. Written by Mr. Paul |Iialue, wett
both very fine. The Moore House "a
the next p!ace that 81 med our atteu
zion La ihis house cosuwalis >igneu
shr articles OF ca! t atlon-and here l
was ti,.t Lafayette had nG> quarters
On tbs occasion the red, white au.
blue v,re in front, aud the old relic i
e~ltirr.y devoted to the Use of III,
Frcn II. After looking through thi~
rendez Gus oF the departed, We went t.
ae l. aft AM looked out upon the har
Dor. " hat a grand scc.e. Twenty
one ships with the stars and stripes,
aud three with the tri colurS Of France,
all with their broad sides shining with
lorg rows of cannouS. Look! there
goes d salute as some othcer goes on
board. Over there lies a long black Oh
iect-it is a Ere CHI Ram With a steel
oeak eXtrndIB. Thirty feel Luuer water;
near her i an United States torpedo
boat, ovet youder are the men Of war
aud still farther Oh Il a small city of pa
latial steamers lying sile by side, al
u~nrUpuu,ly DECORATED from stem tn stern