Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 3.djvu/1173

Rh trips during this period of his life were through the Dismal Swamp canal, the managers of which annoyed him considerably by their rule that "no boats should pass during the night." Finding that the company would make no exception for him, Captain Parks conceived the daring idea of building a canal to parallel the old waterway. People laughed at his temerity in attempting without money such a project in opposition to the old canal in which the State, from which a charter must be obtained, held a two-fifths interest, and United States government two-fifths. But Captain Parks went ahead, with the aid of a friend, drew up a charter, put it through the legislature at Richmond with the aid of friends, and then finding that Norfolk capital rejected his scheme as visionary, went to New York city, and secured the subscription of five hundred thousand dollars in stock. This was the origin of the great "Albemarle and Chesapeake canal," which Captain Parks built between 1855 and 1860, and was president of during a quarter of a century. It was the first canal in which modern methods and the use of steam dredges, replaced the old pick and shovel. In 1861, after the passage of the ordinance of secession by Virginia, Captain Parks was appointed provisional commodore in the merchant marine of the State, and was instructed to take charge of all the guns at the Norfolk navy yard, some thirty-two hundred in number, and remove them to a place of safety, a work which he partly accomplished during the sixty days which elapsed before Virginia was united with the Confederacy. He was then appointed by the governor of North Carolina, whose State was yet neutral, a special commissioner for the establishment of a North Carolina navy. This work he had well under way, and fitted out several gunboats, when he was ordered to transfer his vessels to the Confederate States. He had manufactured at Norfolk the flags of North Carolina, bearing the dates "May, 1775," and "May, 1861," the dates of separation from Great Britain and the United States. Subsequently he acted as aide and adviser to Generals Gwinn and Huger at Norfolk, and placed the several steamers which he owned at the disposal of these Confederate commanders. At the evacuation he was advised by General Huger, that on account of his age and absence of military rank, he should remain at Norfolk, which he did during the remainder of the war, holding himself in readiness to render the Confederacy any service required. Since the return of peace he has been engaged, in addition to his steamboat business, in several very important enterprises. He built the New Bern and Beaufort canal and the Fairfield canal, and was for many years president of those waterways; built the Norfolk & Virginia Beach railroad, of which he was president for some time, and established the now widely-famous Virginia Beach ocean resort; also founded and named that portion of Norfolk known as Atlantic City. He has found time also to serve one term in the Virginia legislature, and to be the Democratic candidate for Congress in his district on an occasion when unfortunately the ticket was unsuccessful. During President Cleveland's first term he was appointed supervising inspector of steam vessels for the Third district, comprising the coast from Washington to Florida, a position he held four years. In 1855 he was married to Sophia Jackson, who died a few years ago, leaving three daughters. During recent years Commodore Parks