The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1857-01-17

TIE ItichmS - ri es,e Artitspwy.l

TIE ltichml1 r 9s,el Artst1ewy.
We have been s613 totjlmsrse, onss6eeral r.
cent paradss. that y fay6sisss old envy hsss
appeared viii ihin rauks why sheutd thi. 8
s,i The time has been, when ne Richmond
Fayette Artillery was regarded Is one of the mcst
efcient volunteer compAnies not only Of our city,
bat Ct the State. Itba1 maaY Substantial, well
drilled msmbssss commanded b. spirited olaesrs
and WAS always characterissd. - we understood
by great harmony. esprit da corps. and readiness
to perform with alacsity any duty q moments
warning Let as not be understood q intimating
want Of solderiy qualities in the present officers
aud men our purpose Is rather to uphold them,
and to induce others, If We can, to follow their ex
ample. There can scarcely be = diversity OF
opinion In the community at this day as to tbs
value of volunteer companies 1t is true, individ
ual excuses or inmoralites may sometimes occur
in them, which may be caus ed by military associa
ton but not to greater degree, we apprehend,
than that which marks those which grow out Of
manly associations Of adfferent kind But therehas
been great Improvement in this respect Intern
perance in volunteer companies is not near so
great now as it was twenty years ago. Such being
the case, suggest that our merchants and master
mechanics ought to encourage their clerks and
employees to join ,me well conducted volunteer
company. with the unders landing, always, that
there is to be proper limitation both as to
expenditure Of time aud money for company pur-
poses,
We confess our regret at the abolition of the old
militia system-and we desire to see it re-estab-
lished, if practicable, upon an improved basis
Col Kemper, the Delegate from Madison, fought
manfuly but in vain last winter for bill which
heard favorabiy spoken of by some of our military
friends who had examined its details Governor
Wise appears disposed to encourage the military
spirit of our citizens. and we hope he will cause to
be digested before the next meeting of the Legsla
ture, some plan which will answer the exigencies
of the State.
But to return to our friends of the Artillery
We remember this company in its PALMER days,
under Captains Rutherford, Richardson, Hyde,
Ellis, and Nimmo. We can recall, distinctly, some
of the most famous of the early Artillerymen ::
There were old Mr.. Teuto and old Mr.. Larmand,
and Mr.. Ramsay and MIR. McGinness, and Mott
aud Kersey, and Minor and Franklin, Charter
and Cary, Mangum and Lakewood, Hitchcock and
Greaner, Latferty and Merriam, Spalding and Reg.
nauit Ryan and Ancarrow, Cassidy and Sharp,
Hollins and Hodgden, Freeman and Rice, Jarvis
neighbor, Mr. John B. Martin, the Artist, who, we
believe acted as Secretary to the first meeting held
for the organization of the company. Wei have
taken soldiers fare with them on several occasions
and never failed to remark the zest with which they
associated with each other and the patriotic tone of
their toasts and speeches. More than once we
have gone with them into the country, to witness
their target practicing and their maneuvres with
the piece or in battery-with spirit, activity and
precision worthy, it seemed to US, of real SOL
diers. To us, as mere lockers on, there is some
thing peculiarly attractive in the evolutions of
field artillery and therefore we are surprised that
in the volunteer enlstments of our city, this arm
of the service appears to have been comparatively
overlooked.
The purpose Of our article will have been &C.
compliahed, if it shall Induce some of our sturdy
mechanics to enlist under Captain Charles Rich.
ardson, who has commanded the company very
efficiently for the last eighteen months or more.