Elsies Vacation and After Events | Page 7

Church, which was
built probably about 1700. Before the Revolution it bore the royal arms
carved upon its steeple; but soon after the Declaration of
Independence--so it is said--that steeple was struck by lightning and
those badges of royalty were hurled to the ground."
"Just as the country was shaking off the yoke they represented,"
laughed Rosie. "A good omen, wasn't it, Brother Levis?"
"So it would seem, viewed in the light of after events," he answered
with a smile.
"Papa, can't we visit Hampton?" asked Lulu eagerly.
"Yes, if you would all like to do so," was the reply, in an indulgent tone
and with an inquiring glance at the older members of the party.
Everyone seemed to think it would be a pleasant little excursion,
especially as the Dolphin would carry them all the way to the town; but
first they must visit the fortress. They did not, however, set out thither
immediately, but remained on deck a little longer gazing about and
questioning the captain in regard to the points of interest.
"Papa," asked Grace, pointing in a southerly direction, "is that another

fort yonder?"
"Yes," he replied, "that is Fort Wool. It is a mile distant, and with
Fortress Monroe defends Hampton Roads, the Gosport navy yard, and
Norfolk."
"They both have soldiers in them?" she said inquiringly.
"Yes, daughter; both contain barracks for soldiers, and Fortress Monroe
has also an arsenal, a United States school of artillery, chapel, and,
besides the barracks for the soldiers, storehouses and other buildings,
and covers eighty acres of ground."
"And when was it finished, papa? How long did it take to build it?"
"It is not finished yet," he answered, "and has already cost nearly three
million dollars. It is an irregular hexagon--that is has six sides and six
angles--surrounded by a tide-water ditch eight feet deep at high water."
"I see trees and flower gardens, papa," she remarked.
"Yes," he said, "there are a good many trees, standing singly and in
groves. The flower gardens belong to the officers' quarters. Now, if you
will make yourselves ready for the trip, ladies, Mr. Dinsmore, and any
of you younger ones who care to go," he added, smoothing Grace's
golden curls with caressing hand and smiling down into her face, "we
will take a nearer view."
No one felt disposed to decline the invitation and they were soon on
their way to the fortress.
It did not take very long to look at all they cared to see; then they
returned to their vessel, weighed anchor, and passed through the narrow
channel of the Rip Raps into the spacious harbor of Hampton Roads.
It was a lovely day and all were on deck, enjoying the breeze and the
prospect on both land and water.
"Papa," said Lulu, "you haven't told us yet what happened here in the

last war with England."
"No," he said. "They attacked Hampton by both land and water, a force
of two thousand five hundred men under General Beckwith landing at
Old Point Comfort, and marching from there against the town, while at
the same time Admiral Cockburn assailed it from the water.
"The fortification at Hampton was but slight and guarded by only four
hundred and fifty militiamen. Feeling themselves too weak to repel an
attack by such overwhelming odds, they retired, and the town was
given up to pillage."
"Didn't they do any fighting at all, papa?" asked Lulu in a tone of regret
and mortification. "I know Americans often did fight when their
numbers were very much smaller than those of the enemy."
"That is quite true," he said, with a gleam of patriotic pride in his eye,
"and sometimes won the victory in spite of the odds against them. That
thing had happened only a few days previously at Craney Island, and
the British were doubtless smarting under a sense of humiliating defeat
when they proceeded to the attack of Hampton."
"How many of the British were there, Captain?" asked Evelyn Leland.
"I have forgotten, though I know they far outnumbered the Americans."
"Yes," he replied, "as I have said there were about four hundred and
fifty of the Americans, while Beckwith had twenty-five hundred men
and was assisted by the flotilla of Admiral Cockburn, consisting of
armed boats and barges, which appeared suddenly off Blackbeard's
Point at the mouth of Hampton Creek, at the same time that Beckwith's
troops moved stealthily forward through the woods under cover of the
Mohawk's guns.
"To draw the attention of the Americans from the land force coming
against them was Cockburn's object, in which he was partly successful,
his flotilla being seen first by the American patrols at Mill Creek.
"They gave the alarm, arousing the camp, and a line of battle was

formed. But just then some