River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-09-11


of the army of the Potomac. Here
were gathered all of the cOnvalescent
cavalrymen who were ready to be re-
turned to their regiments, after hav-
ing been sent forth from the hospitals.
Thousands of horses were purchased
by the government and sent to this
point for the purpose of keeping the
cavalry corps we'll equipped. The piers
Of the once busy wharyes are rottlng
away and only a few of them rear
their jagged heads above the surface,
for, at last, it is call quiet on the Po-
tomac."
Fort Washington and Fort Foote are
passed. They are harmless reminders
Of the great war which eliminated III
the victory for human freedom. MOO
ern guns would crush and crumble
them. But further down stream,
where the river deepens not, but wild
ems, we come to Fort Sheridan, an IN
nocent looking place, but the strong
est defense of the national capital,
riyerwards. The luXuriant foliage ana
velvet sward conceal the 13-lnch DIS
appearing rife which covers the chan
mel, an instrument of destruction
which could dispose of an entire Meet
as the vessels must come up stream
in single file, because of the narrow
ness of the channel.
We pass Mount Vernon on our right,
where all Of the bells of passing steam
ers are tolled, and few miles beyond
we come to the broad river three miles
wide, where the channel was mined
during the war with Spain, to prevent
the incursion Of hostile fleets. No
cheap mining work was done here,
such as the corrupt Spanish officials
did for their ports. The river was
checker boarded here, and in certain
SQUARES tremendous mines were
placed They were anchored securely,
and electric wires connected them
with shore batteries. If any hostile
vessel had entered one of those
squares it's destruction would have
surely ensued.
AS the river broadens into the bay,
and beyond the ripraps, we see the
smoke Of ocean steamers, we swing
about to the right past Fortress Mon
roe and into Hampton Roads, where
the greatest naval battle of the plne-
teenth century was fought; the bat
tie which relegated wooden fighting
ships to the junk shops of history
along with the galleys of the Caesars;
the battle in which the ironclad Mer-
rimac attacked powerful fleet OF bat
tleships, sunk the Congress, captured
the Cumberland, set the Minnesota
on fire and returned to her anchorage,
intending to complete the work OF de-
struction on the morrow. After that
this city would have been at the mercy
of the guns of that invincible marine
monster. But the Monitor wObbled
into the Roads that night, and the Mer-
rimacs mission was ended.
Fortress Monroe is a valueless relic
of half a century ago. Any modern
battleship could steam along eight or
ten miles away and batter the old
stone walls to atoms. Fortress Mon
roe is no protection to this city or the
surrounding country. But in the I'M
probable event of another war with
foreign foe plans are ready which
could be developed rapidly, so as to
make a modern defense on that site.
Useless as it is, the old fort looks dan
gerous enough to brighten off foes.
Historic old Norfolk we pass as we
swing out into ocean and around into
bay, not having time on this occasion
to visit the numerous interesting revo-
| lutionary relics Of the town. While
in the bay we enjoy oysters in every
style, fresh from the water, although
it is claimed that the bivalves should
not be eaten between April and Sep
| TENDER.
We visit Annapolis, view the naval
academy and the interesting revolu-
tionary sites of interest. We stop at
Fort McHenry, where the Star Span
oiled Banner" was born in the brain
of Key; and with greater pride than
ever we salute that banner so gal
lantly streaming" over the ramparts
of the ancient fort.
So you see that during our entire
ten vacation days we have been en-
ioying study of history, as well as be
ing invigorated by the unusual outing.
SMITH d. FRY.