Daily press. [volume] (Newport News, Va.) 1896-current, 1907-04-30
Cadets Of Hampton Academy VIII
Have Another Reua|on
WHAT HAPPENED IN MAY 1857
Mr.. George 3. Yves. Tells Abou. a
Celebration Held on jamestown
Island in Which Colonel cary's
Boys Participated. n
lay Mr. eeorae 3. wast.l

(By Mr.. George B. West.)
No set of men eyer eXerted a great
or or better influence over the Youth
Entrusted to them than the principals
of the academies OF this State fifty Oh
more years ago. None of these stood
higher or did more to elevate their
pupils than Colonel John b. Carey. of
Hampton Academy. think ali his
scholars VIII agree with me, that they
nave been better ANA more useful by
having been under his tuition.
He was born teacher, strict in dis
cipline. requiring implicit obedience,
yet always just. ana conslderate and
ready and willing to give us pleasure,
even at much cost to himself. The
celebration ut jamestown Island. May
l3. 1857, was Il much greater and i'm.
posing affair than is generally sup
posed at this time. The military of
the whole state participated In ii.
Our Hampton poet. James Barron
Hope, was selected to write
and recite poem. He was
an intimate friend OF Colonel
Cary, who to honor him and
give the cadets Il nice trip, chartered
the steamer Star" TO take us To the
celebration.
We had been invited by the citi.
zens of williamsburg to visit their
city and he their guests on May 12;
so we started early on the morning
Of that date from Hampton. >We had
perhaps nearly fifty boys under arms.
Quite II large crowd of friends and
relatives was mt the wharf to see us
off.
We had n delightful and jolly trip
up the river We landed ut the Kings
Mill wharf, where we were met by
vehicles to take us to the city, said to
be three miles distant. Not eypect.
ing so many n few of us larger boys
had to walk. You can imagine what
a merry party we were, tho those who
had to foot il We're quite tired before
we reached the city. An elegant and
bonntiful dinner was scrved-ds under
the trees In Colonel Robert Armi-
stead's yard. II is hardly necessary
to say that we did full justice to the
good dinner.
Our military instructor was Mr..
James MassenEurg, who. tho without
military schooling, was /, fine drill
master. He was very proud of tile
cadets ana claimed we were the best
drilled company in the State, and was
always glad of an opportunity of
showing MS Off
After dinner We drilled I'm the
streets, and were invited by the SUI
parintendent of the asylum to drill
within the grounds, as he thought it
would please the inmates. Most OF
them may have enjoyed seeing us.
but some We're rendered furious. Hav.
Ing stacked arms we were shown
through the building.
We were quartered I'm private
houses and the college. The college
and academy boys walked M tho old
city that night. The next morning we
were all taken to the steamer wait
ing us at Kings Mill wharf, and EN-.
parked for jamestown Island, not
many miles up the river
Our parents had put up lunches for
us In boxes, and before we landed we
opened our boxes and took n snack.
There was not wharf on the island.
so we had to land in the steamers
yawls.
AS soon as we landed, the company
was formed on the beach and put in
position with the military. and march.
ed to the grandstand, which stood. |
think, in n field of wheat nearly knee
high. We remained at parade rest
during all the long ceremonies, con-
sisting of music by the bands, speech
by Governor Fl, A. Wise, grafton by
Ex-President John Tyler, and the no.
en- by j. 3. Hope. have no recol-
lection of the proceedings eycept that
1t was very tiresome standing so long
1t being now late in the afternoon.
we were marched by The old toyer
and then to the beach to re-enbark
for home.
jamestown Island in its whole his
tory had never presented as ipleas.
ant, gay and livelyNa scene as ca that
lovely May afternoon. The .;,arbor
was filled with every description OF
boats, from bateau to an ocean
steamer, decorated with FLAGS. The
embarking, hosting sails, weighing
anchors, people cheering, the bands
| playing, steamers whistlins. military
| saluting, all contributed 10 make II
truly stirring and inspiring sight.
A few had come overland from the
surrounding counties but a very large
majority had come in bhlts.
Our military instructor was very
much disappointed inSnot having the
opportunity to show she crowd what
finely drilled company we were. AS
soon as we were alIahoard he formed
us on the upper deck, which was quite
small, and put us through the man
'lal, to attract the passengers In the
small boats passing and those on the
larger ones anchored near us. We
were very much. delighted at an Incl
| dent OF the drill. He stood in front
OF us near the edge OF the boat, and
when We Were commanded to aim he
was only. n fpot mr. two fro,,, So ,,>,,,,