The Elbert County tribune., 1913-08-08

tion contained herein.
He mentions. particularly among the active
work of the post, the branch of the Y. NJ C. A.
conducted by Chaplain Edmund b. Smith, the
classes for enlisted men and the drills supple
mented now with the 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 as
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 time housed over a thousand
prisoners. Among the noted prisoners who have
been confined there John Yates Beall, the
Confederate spy
Castle William was completed in 1911 and is
built on bed rock. In of the departmental
reports 1t is described. as "a stone tower with
fifty-two AZ and 80 Founders maintained on two
tiers under bomb roof and a terrace intended
to mount twentysix 50-pound columbiads." In
several other reports Castle William is referred
to as an example of outgrown science"
In the museum on the island is Sheridan's ia
nous horse Winchester. who bore his master in
forty-seven battles.
In place of regular army chapel Trinity Cor
poration has provided the Chapel of ST. Cornelius
the Centurion for the of the post. 1t is a
charming Gothic structure of granite, built
the old frame building, 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 a bronze
tablet explains that they cannons used in the
several battles of the Mexican war Over the
choir, a double row OF tattered battle flags hang
One is mere cobweb and the light from the
stained glass window shows a fringe of blood
red threads and a 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 Tsin in the Boxer uprising
in China.
Chaplain Smith is about to publish book on
Governors Island. for with the exception of
monograph or two and some scientific articles on
technical subjects, the place has practically been
overlooked by chronclers. The book is to be
illustrated with several prints and engrav-
ings besides modern work and contains
data that have never Seen printed In this coun-
try and represent years of the most untring 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 G63D by that shrewd old barater Wouter
Van Twiller. director general OF New Neither
lands, for axe heads n string Of beads and
few nails from two Indians whose names,
Cakapeteton 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. 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 1t furnished a convenient
landing place for the settlers cattle and the first
building was erected q6sS) by Van Twer and