"The building of Fortress Monroe was not begun until 1817.

However, there was a small fort built on Point Comfort in 1630; also, shortly before the siege of Yorktown, Count De Grasse had some fortifications thrown up to protect his troops in landing to take part in that affair." But just then the talk was interrupted by the coming on deck of one after another of their party and the exchange of morning greetings; then followed the interest and excitement of the approach to the fortress and anchoring in its vicinity.
Next came the call to breakfast.

But naturally, and quite to Lulu's satisfaction, the talk at the table turned upon the building of the fort, its history and that of the adjacent country, particularly Hampton, two and a half miles distant.
The captain pointed it out to them all as they stood upon the deck shortly afterward.
"Which is Old Point Comfort, papa ?" asked Grace.
"That sandy promontory on the extremity of which stands Fortress Monroe," he answered.

"Yonder, on the opposite side, is Point Willoughhy, the two forming the mouth of the James River; and these are the Rip Raps between the two.

You see that there the ocean tides and the currents of the river meet and cause a constant ripple.