Year: 1861

4


A correspondent of the Columbus Times, writing
from Fort Barancas, January SOth, gives the follow


ing description Of this city, towards which so many
eyes are turned at this moment:


Pensacola is an ancient town, having been found
ed at an early period by the Spaniards The houses
are built in the olden style, with low narrow win
dOws, and projecting roofs which in some cases run
into shelter across the sidewalk. The old and
dingy shops kept by creOles in the same manner
they were an hundred years ago, are very sugges-
tive of the past. and around them more old Spanish
legends cling than ivy berries on the wall The
plan is regular and the streets quite wide although
narrow when compared with the streets of Colum-
bus. It contains several churches market house,
three newspaper offices and custom-house. The
latter is and decidedly the best in the city 1t
is port of entry, the capital of Escambia county
and situated the Gulf Of Mexico sixty four miles
from Mobile IN easterly direction. and one hun
dred and eighty miles in a direct line west from
Tallahassee. Pensacola bay has rare properties as
harbor and cannot be excelle on the Gulf If bv auy


in this country 1t is accessible to rigates of large
size, there being twenty-one feet of water on the
bar, and when once inside all the ships of our navy
could ride IN safety. The channel runs near the
coast the bar which is short and easily pass
ed. The harbor is completely landocked and the
roadstead capacIous.


The bay is twenty-seven miles in length and in its
broadest part twelve miles in width 1t lies imme-
diately at the mouth of Escambla river. Running



and West is long line Of sandy shore, narrow, bar
ren and so low that in a severe gale the mad waves
dash over it. This is Santa Rosa's Island upon the
extreme western end Of which our eyes are daily
turned in anxious anticipation ofsome stormy scores.
Santa Rosa stretches out to the Chattahochee river.
The western point, which is mile in width, is at
the mouth Of the hay, and from this point the land
grows more narrow. On an average it is not above
fourth of mile in width although in some places
it exceeds this considerably. At high-wSter there
are many places where the waves run over the land
as have previously stated. Near Pickens it is bar
rem for mile or thereabouts, and then commences
a low growth of shrubbery, scraggy pines, ive-oak
bushes and small trees of different varieties. 1t IS
too sandy for cultivation, and is Of no manner of
use, except to protect Pensacola from the sea- and to
form reliable roadstead. The upper arm of Pen
sacola Bay receives the YeIlow-water or Pea river
Middle river and Escambla river, eleven miles from
the Gulf of Mexico. The outer shore of Santa Rosas
Island is sometimes dangerous to incoming vessels


The peculiar position of Pensacola bay makes it
desirable a Naval station as excellent positions
for dock-yards can be found in the harbor When
the railroad from Montgomery is completed, the IA
cilities for reaching it will be much increased
that it viii present quite another appearance. New
stores viii be erected warehouses built and other
wharfs and docks for the accommodation Of ship
ping. Capital viii go wherever there is a chance
for investment, and if Imay claim some indulgence
for prophecy, here will be FL Dorado for fnan-
eiers. 1t is true there is rich back country to
bring IN Its products TO enrich the city out tins Is
hardly necessary in this case although desirable in
any. The imports of such port this cannot fail
to be heavy when the goods be easily and cheap
ly distributed through the country.


AS summer residence, too, Pensacola must be
delghtful for the town pleasant the drives good
the scenery romantic, the water excellent and am
told there is fine breeze from the sea in the hot
test day of summer The sunset scenes are as beau
tiful to me as any l have witnessed in the bay of
Naples, and every night when the evening gun is
fired, lean upon the parapet overlooking "od San
Carlo de Barrancas," and gaze far down the beach
and across the water, until the dusky shadows Of
night fall upon the sea- Then the lighthouse lamps
lit, and its beSeon light flashes the restless
waves for miles up the bay. To fond of ro-
nance and history, or one who can commune with
his inner SELF it is hardship to stand sentinel
at night upon the ramparts and listen to the music
of the ocean waves they play upon the beach in
the mournful cadence they did upon the Eux-
inc shore in the DAYS Of good old Homer