The Wilmington daily Republican. (Wilmington, Del.) 1890-1902, 1892-04-20
THE NATIONAL CEMETERY.
Where Thousands of Brave Men
sleep Their Last Sleep-The Hamp-
ton Normal and Agricultural Instr
tute.

tute.
The National Cemetery at Hampton,
Va, Is close to the Soldiers'IIome, and
is separated from it by narrow inlet
OF the Hampton Creek. 1t is irregular
in shape, contains nearly twelve ucres
OF land and was purchased by the
United States in 1867, for the sum of
~, 800. The entire plot is enclosed by
rubble Stono wall surmountod by
rough coping. Tho entrance is on the
north side through a gate and tue
first Formally is for the visitor to pro-
coed to the Office of Superintendent
Major L. d. McAlpine, on the left
hand side near the entrance, and regis
ter his name. The main avenue is
about twenty feet wide, and the
grounds ON either side arc handsomely
adorned with well kept Hover beds.
About tho centre of the grounds. there
| is a mound, on which "a flag staff
stands, while facing this mound on
either side there is largo cannon
| planted. From this point the main
avenue branches off to tho right hnd
left.
A short distance from the mound
| there is an imposing solid granite
monument IS feet high, erected
| through the efforts of Miss ID. L.. Dix
| of New York. 1t stands in the centre
Of circular plot "a feet in diameter,
which Is enclosed by all iron fence,
the posts of which are 3-inch riiled
Rodman cannon. and the pickets mus
ket barrels with fixed bayonets, rath-
er dangerous fence to attempt to
climb. None of the graves have
mounds, and the ground is perfectly
Lowell, sodded, and the grass kept close
ly cropped. The graves are arranged
IN double parallel rows feet to feet,
with paths five feet wide between
each row OF head-stones These head
stones are similar to those in the sol
diers' plot in the Wilmington and
Brandywine Cemetery, aud contain
the name. rank. regiment and state OF
the deceased whenever known.
There are ut present nearly seven
thousand soldiers sleeping their last
sleep in this beautiful spot, OF which
number $50 are Confederate who died
while prisoners of war, either In the
hospital ut Camp Hamilton or in Fort
Monroe. Their graves are together
in the southeast end of the cemetery
All the bodies Inferred hero previous
to May lith, 1871, We're removed from
their places of original interlncnt, be-
. ing mostly from the grounds OF The
general hospital, but some were
, brought from Big Bethel Newport
News, Norfolk, Portsmouth and other
places. There ore an average of Ii
deaths a month at the Soldiers Home,
and these are all inferred here. The
cemetery is now almost fun, and the
. intcrments Will have to cease unless
an adjoining plot of ground can be Sc
> cured, Tor tho extension oil the origin
al grounds
Tho grounds are laid out in beauti-
ful and attractive manner AMI show
that the Government not only cares
a r.1tu.
alSU provides for them Il handsome
and quiet place OF intermenL after
death. Each headstone i'll the long
lines marks the place
where sleep the brave. who sank TO rc-t
~ all their country's wishes blcst.
Where Spring. with dewy fingers cold
Returns TO death their hallowcd mould.
She there shall dress swector sod
| Than fancy Is feet have ever trOd, y
THE HAMPTON NORMAL INSTITUTE.
The Hampton Normal and Agrlcul
tural Institute, situated on an arm oil
Hampton Roads. two miles from Fort
Monroe, was opened in 1868 and lncor'
porated in 1870, being the first perma
nent school ever established for freed
men in the South. In 1878 Captain
Pratt brought seventeen Indian priS
onsrS of war from Fort Marion, st
Augustine, Fla, to Fort Monroe, nnC
the Government made an arrangement
with the managers of the Institute fui
their admission as students. This was
only experimental, but proved such q
success, that tho number Of Indiai
students have been increasing eVei
Stree.
The institution is located on an es
tato OF one hundred ami twenty acres
of land, and during tho war was uset
as the main hospital OF the Army o.
the James, and known as Camp Ham
ilton. During the hottest days of til,
rebellion, there were as many as ter
= thousand sick and wounded soldier.
in this hospital at one time. At tn,
close OF tie war, it became the head
, quarters for the Hampton District oI
the Bureau OF Refugees, Freedmen
aud abandoned laIds.
This b leuu WIS commissioned b'
the government to reconstruct, adj
minister justice, during tho suspon
l sion of the civil courts, adjust claims
provide work T. /, and scatter to tleil
former homes the thousands Of con
, trabands vino We're dependent OF
Government rations, bring back those
who had been sold away and have {
general guardianship OF the mission
= schools among them. AT tho requcs
of General $. {. armstrong, who a
+ The time was i'll Charge OF tho llamp
ton District, Normal and Industrial
School was established, under the aus
pieces of the American Missionary As
ISOLATION, and the estate was purehas
ed in 1867, for the sum OF $4,000
Additional buildings wele ere ted
and in April, lSGS tic schoul was opCl
ed with 10 scholars and , teach n
The object Of the institute Is to edu
cate colored and Indian boys and Cir.
, and also learn them useful trades, to
NlsaN a. tf.1.-