Visit to BlenJcer, 23 



tion between Virginia and the District of Washington. It is 

 exactly an English mile long, built of wood, and rather narrow. 

 From the bridge one looks, towards the right, on Georgetown, 

 a suburb of the capital, and on Arlington Heights, on the 

 Virginian side, a hill on the top of which is picturesquely 

 situated the stately- looking former residence of General Lee, 

 the Commander-in-Chief of the Confederates. To the left are, 

 projecting into the lake-like Potomac, the Arsenal and Navy- 

 yard, and on the Virginian side, nearly out of view, is the town 

 of Alexandria. 



To the left, not far from the bridge, we noticed a striking 

 monument of old General Scott's military imbecility, one of 

 the three blockhouses which he had built on the Virginian 

 shore of the rivers, and which he thought sufficient for the 

 defence of Washington ! The blockhouse, not larger than a 

 peasant's house, was roughly constructed of logs, and alto- 

 gether a most miserable and ridiculous concern, which might 

 have served as an abode for a company sent out against the 

 Indians in the Western wilderness. McClellan had already 

 commenced the construction of numerous forts around the 

 city, and that next the bridge which we had to pass was called, 

 I think. Fort Albany. 



Not far from it, to the right and left of the turnpike-road 

 leading to Fairfax and Centreville, extended the camp of the 

 German division. It was laid out in the German fashion, the 

 tents standing in rows, each regiment separated from the other. 

 The lanes between them were ornamented with recently plant- 

 ed fir or cedar trees, and the whole made a very friendly and 

 even grand impression, especially to us, who had never seen a 

 similar thing before. 



The General received us in the most cordial and polite 

 manner, surrounded by his splendid staff. 



He was a man about whom I heard, both in Europe and 

 America, the most unjust and undeserved judgments, and I 

 am anxious to profit by this opportunity to pay a debt of grati- 

 tude to this most excellent man, though his noble and kind 

 heart was broken long ago, and my endeavours will avail him 

 nothing. 



Louis Blenker was, I think, from Worms ; I know, at least, 

 that he was domiciled there before the breaking out of the 

 German revolution in 1848. After having served in the Bava- 



