The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1909-06-24

mere figures. The barracks face
the parade, and fanking them are
the officers quarters, old-fashioned
frame structures of the southern
style, suggesting summer comfort.
The comfort has no strength be-
yond the suggestion, however, for
some of the suffering ones say that
the high rampant walls cut off all
the sea breeze in the summer.
A few of the bachelor officers
and a number of Corporals and ser
geants are lodged in the old case
mates of the fortress---a cool, if
somewhat cramped, quartering. 1t
was in one of these easements that
Jefferson Davis, president of the
confederacy, was confined for some
time after his capture. 1t is the
general belief that the place where
Davis was imprisoned at Fortress
Monroe was a dungeon. The case
mate today is occupied by junior
officer OF artillery, and he makes
no complaint of hardship. The
mistake in Jefferson Davis case
was in putting him in irons Miles
did it under orders, and did it pro-
testing. il Lincoln had not been
assassinated Davis probably never
would have been in chains, and his
Imprisonment would have been of
the briefest. The south realizes
this, and some of the bitterness of
the episode is said to be lost.
There are SO officers of artillery
station ed at Fortress Monroe.
Fewer than one-ffth or the num-
Der appear on the rolls as officers
Of the garrison. The rest are STU
dents at the post graduate artillery
school, which the government con-
ducts at the fortress for the young
er commissioned men of the ser
vice. The officers have club
which is CHARTERED in a place hav-
ing no counterpart in America
The classmates Of the ramparts Of
the fort are connected by arched
passageways, forming long stone
encased gallery. A generous sec
ton Of this battlement interior has
been preempted for the lighter side
Of army life.
In every casemate is an embras-
ure through which in war DAYS
the face of the cannon looked ont
over the moat. The embrasures
are useless for war purposes TODAY,
and they perform the peaceful Office
O. letting in the light. The can
non in this modern time frown
over the parapet above, to disap-
pear after the firing behind the
breast-works of earth and stone.
The easements of the officers
club are not destitute of weapons,
though it is true that the arms
gathered within the clubrooms are
more ANTICIPATED and less effective
than were the old cannon, whose
places they have usurped. There
are trophies here from many battle
felds---the bows, arrows and spears
of the Sioux, Kiowa and Apache;
the bolO of the Moro; the ancient
Chinese field pieces taken at Ten
Tsin, and the modern but now in
noCuous MauseTs from the field Of
Santiago.
The stone walls Of this fortress
club are covered with pictures,
some of them being older than the
walls themselves. There are por,
traits of America soldiers here
who gave up their lives for their
country, and who are forgotten by
all save the faith few of the army.
Northern and southern soldiers are
side by side. The picture OF these
men were here or elsewhere in the
garrison before the men themselves
were driven by divided duty into
the ranks of opposing armies. They
were of the same service in the
older days, and today the same
flag floats over the pictures of both
in the Virginia fortress. The
army had rid itself of resentment
while the politicians were still
fighting confederates in the halls
r IL.