Delaware City press. (Delaware City, Del.) 1913-19??, 1913-08-08
A

ton contained herein,
lie issEt4ass paf ticulai il among ,.ssiyee
work of the post the branch of the Y. M @. AN
conducted by Chaplain Edmund b. Smith, the
classes for enlisted men and the drills supple
mented now with the more picturesque music
drills or silent manual.
The military student finds at present little to
interest him, for the island is not fortified being
in no way part of the scheme of Notifications,
which embraces Sandy Hook and the mouth OF
the harbor. Fort Jay, for 100 years known
Fort Columbus. but originally named for John
Jay, was during the Civil war manned with heavy
guns, although not even threatened. When Fort
Lafayette was too crowded with prisoners at that
period Castle William took charge of the over
flow and at one time housed over a thousand
prisoners. Among the noted prisoners who have
been confined there was John Yates Beall, the
Confederate spy.
Castle William was completed in 1911 and is
built OH bed rock. In one of the departmental
reports 1t is described as "a stone tower with
ffty-two AZ and 80 Founders maintained on two
tiers under bomb roof and terrace intended
to mount twenty-six 50-pound columbiads" In
several other reports Castle William is referred
to as an example Of outgrown science"
In the museum the island is Sherdan's IA
nous horse, Winchester who bore his master in
fortyseven battles.
In place of regular army chapel Trinity Cor.
poration has provided the Chapel of St Cornelius
the Centurion for the use of the post. 1t is
charming Gothic structure of granite, built near
the OLD frame DullulnR, erected IN 1S47 by DR. Nc
Vickar who taught ethics at Columbia college
during the week and on Sunday preached in the
chapel he built and presented to the island him
self. Garlanding the chancel several upright
posts connected with heavy chain and bronze
tablet explains that they are cannons used in the
several battles of the Mexican war Over the
choir double row of tattered battle flags hang
One is mere cobweb and the light from the
stained glass window shows fringe of blood
red threads and splash of blue where stars
were once woven. This is the last flag pulled
down in Cuba Another of peculiar interest is
the one under which Major Reilly died and which
was carried from Tien Tsn in the Boxer uprising
in China.
Chaplain Smith Is about to publish book on
Governors Island, for with the exception of a
monograph or two and some scientific articles on
technical subjects the place has practically been
overlooked by chroniclers. The book is to be
illustrated with several rare prints and engrav-
lngs besides more modern work. and contains
data that have never been printed in this coun-
try and represent years of the most untiring re-
search on the part of the author
Situated what is considered TODAY one
of the most valuable pieces of real estate prop
erty in the world, Governors Island was pur.
chased tl637 by that shrewd old barater Wouter
Van Twiller, director general of New Neither
lands for some heads string of beads and
few nails from two Indians whose names.
CakapeteJon and Pehiwas would indicate great
er mentality than they seem to have possessed
Across Buttermilk channel to the origin naming
and history of which Chaplain Smith devotes two
chapters of his book, Sara the first Christian
child to be born in the Dutch colony daughter of
Joris Janson de Rapalye, was taken in a tub at a
very early age of her career and furnished the
only thrilling narrative of the place for some
time
For several years it furnished a convenient
landing place for the settlers cattle and the first
building was erected 169s) by Van Twiller. and