The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-02-19

Ex-Governor Walker. -
At 8 o'clock last night there assembled al
the roo ms of the Court Of Appeals the Rich
mond Howtzers and their invited guests
After spending a'season 10 pleasant chat
during which there were joyful greetings OF
comrades and maDya
MIRTHFUL STORY OF THE CAMP,
the column, about two hundred and fifty
strong, was formed and marched TO the new
hall, on Eighth street, where there was spread
an elegant banquet, to which. the "new"
| HoWitzers had invited the cold" battalion.
As the Howitzcr battalion is dear to the
people of Richmond and of the whole South
BRIEF SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY
is subjoined. The sketch must be the bare
outlines, for to write the history OF that
grand corps were TO write the history of the
Army Of Northern Virginia.
| The Richmond HoWitzers were organized
by George w. Randolph November 0, 1859 ;
served in the "John Brown war;; was re-
cruited into three companies and formed
into battalion at the Baptist College, then
camp of artillery.instruction, in April,
1861. = :.
The Second company went to the PENN.
sula Gloucester PoinD on the 7th of May,
1 l., l.
Yankee and drove her back. This was the
first cannon. firing Of the war in Virginia.
The Third company joined the Second at
Yorktown on the 9th of May, 186lsand
these two" companies fought the battle Of
Bethel (being the principal Confederate
forces) against 1900 troops under General
Butler. 1t was one OF the most remarkable
victories OF the war.
The First company served under Beaure-
gard at the battle of Manassas.
All three companies united at Yorktown
iir 1872, and fought in all the battles of the
Peninsula campaign Of that year, and in all
the battles around Richmond during the
seven days fight. The three companies--
one or all Of them participated in the fol-
lowing engagements Cedar Mountain, Sec
ond Manassas, Chantilly, Bristow Station,
Monocacy, Antietam, First Battle of Frede.
ricks burg, Charlottesville, Gettysburg,
Mine Run, wilderness, Spotsylvania Court
house, Cold Harbor, Battles Around Peters.
burg, Sailors Creek, Appomattox, Leesburg,
Williamsburg, Savage's Station, Malvern
Hill, Sbarpsburg, Dam No. l, Winn's Mill,
Harper's Ferry. Morton's Ford, Charles
town, Va. and Pole Green Church.
Of the officers the following were killed
! in battle: j. Thompson Brown, David Wat
son, Edgar Moseley, Henry Jones, Edward
| S. Mccarthy, james Utz. Captain Robert
Stanard, of Third company, died in service.
| OF the non.commiSsioned officers and pri.
Yates more than one.half were either killed
or wounded, many of the wounded being
now living minus leg or an arm.
Probably two hundred men we're commits
stoned from this battalion and assigned to
various duties.
THE DECORATIONS AND BANQUET.
The hall was beautifully decorated with
festoons, wreaths, and notices Of ever
green, and many of the portraits of distin.
| guishen Howitzers.
After the column had marched in and the
men bad taken their places around the long
| tables, which extended the whole. length OF
the room, Sergeant Carlton Mccarthy intro
! duced the exercises by q stirring incident Of
| the retreat from Petersburg, when the Sc.
eond company of Howi'zers, serving as in.
fantry, found ir the battery that came at a
critical hour to their support their old com.
rades of the Third HoWi!zer company. He
hoped that the greeting which the Howitzers
gave their old comrades tonight would be as
cordial and as hearty as they gave each other
on that memorable occasion.
A BANNER PRESENTED TO THE HowlTzERs.
Major Robert Stiles then came forward
bearing beautiful silk fig, which the mem.
bers of the old battalion proposed to present
to the new. Tne flag was manufactured by
Horstmau Brothers & Allen. of New York,
who showed commendable taste in its eXecu-
| ton and liheraiiy in dealing with the COM
mittee, and was obtained through Lieutenant
Samuel Pendleton, an old Howiizer, who
took great pride and pleasure in the service.
| Il ie 81 GI1 r.
ninia coat-of.arms on one side and an appro-
pirate. device and motto on the other.
Major Stiles then presented the banner in
q chaste and beautiful address. He said that
the scene was its own orator, and he bad
only to give utterance to the silent ora.ion
dictated by the happy hearts Of his younger
brethren and the busy memories Of bis old
comrades. The old HoWitZers were here at
the invitation of their younger brethren, to
bring to this Home Of Memory Banner OF
Hone. and these soldiers of memory and SOL
diers of hope we're all brother Ho,oitserS.
| The, new company welcomed its elder
brothers to the dedication of Howizer Hall
and Howitzer Home, Offering them its whole
hand with its whole heart, and the veterans
of the old battalion came 10 confer the honors
of knigbthood on their g1ilant successors.
Hope offers home to Memory, and sacred
Memory enters and consecrates it. Memory
presents banner to Hope, and young Hope
accepts it with the manly VOW to preserve 1t
forever untarnShed.
He e,oquently spoke of the memories OF
the camp, the bivouac, and the battle. field
that cluster around this HoWiiZer battalion,
to whom General Lee on the retreat sent by
the gallant Gordon the message, "Go tell
those men that rejoice to see that there are
still brave men left in the Army OF Northern
Virginia." and insisted that the new CON-
pany is still the same, and that their elder
brothers could confidently commit to them
the banner of Hope.
He trusted that grim war would never
come again in the day of the old HoWitzers
but if it did, the gallant captain of the new
company would only have 10 muster his bat
terry on Capitol Square and blow his bugle,
and he would soon tnd himself "promoted
on the field" for there would rally around
him battalion Of veterans as true and brave
as ever rammed shot or cut fuse.
In brief and very appropriate response,
| CAPTAIN CARTER -.
said that he was member of the first Or
ganizaton of HowitZers, had gone with the
battalion all through the war, and felt that
he could now pledge bis command that the
flag should remain as bright and uutarnished
as when first received from the hands of their
elder brothers.
He took great pleasure in Introducing as
fit to respond TO the banner-presenta
ton Mr.. Leigh Robinson, OF Washing
ton who was so we'll known and SO. highly
| appreciated in the old battalion.
MR.. ROBINSON
made an eloquent and appropriate response
in accepting ethe banner Of Memory as IT,