The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1875-07-06
LOCAL MATTERS.
THE GLORIOUS FOURTH.
q O w 1T WAS OBSERyED IN
"'A RICHMOND. - Fl VI Z
DOINGs UF THE MILITARY EXCURsfoNISTS
AND OTHERS.;1 B4sIs.

II :T5ai =. not
tDOINGs UF THE MILITARY BxCURsfoNIsTs
/ AND OTHERS S.t1W.sI B4sfa
H. .Ial2HS b
II Without any concert of action Yesterday
! was pretty generally observed In This com.
munity as the anniversary Of the natal day
OF American Independence. The Federal,
State, and municipal offices were closed, bu.
lsiness was all but suspended; On Main, Cary,
and Broad streets, and in one way or another
nearly everybody took a holiday. Thousands
of excursionlsts, white and colored, came to
the city from along the lines of the various
railroads. and made, stir upon the streets,
which would have otherwise shown quite y
/ deserted appearance. These visitors scat.
tered themselves over the whole city, and
could be seen at Hollywood and 0akwood,
and about remote suburbs, as well
as on the Capitol Square and in the
usual centres Of business. Their jaded looks,
dust-covered shoes, and perspiratian-eovered
faces, betrayed them. Determined to see as
much as possible in their limited time, they
walked and walked until they were foot
sore, and looked aud looked until their eyes
grew dim from the blaze OF the sun. When.
| ever borne down with the heat and burden
Of the day, they were glad enough to pa
tronize the enterprising youths who for the
general good set themselves up as merchants
at'street corners with buckets Of ice.water,
which they sold at one cent per glass.
While we were happy In having the pre-
sence OF so many of our country cousins,
there was notable absence from the streets
of towns-people. There being no Fourth
| of-Juy orators or orations, or parades on the
\ To nif6f Cnnuro q m fho olaar ofr r,h; ;oh
there is so much boast, to keep them here,
| they made up parties and went out to the
suburbs or to the country, and enjoyed
themselves as well as the burning sun and
| heated atmosphere would permit. The
HowitZers at Strawberry Hill, the Grays at
| the PumpH House, the Catholics at the Fair
Grounds, the Masons at Coalield, the Red
Men ut Riverside Park, the Old Ambulance
Corps at the James River Brewery-all had
visiting friends in addition to those directly
participating. --...... ...........
AS for the weather, no .dnte-bellum Fourth
could have been of more typical July sort.
In the morning the suns fierce rays pierced
man and beast, and made shady spot more
to be desired for the moment than great
| riches. Alb, who can compute the quantity
OF ice-Water drunk, the lemons sacrificed, the
ice cream put out of sight. in those few brief
hours when the heat was The greatest and
the appetite was strongest? Lucky will it be
if there are no evil consequences.
Though there were during the afternoon
abundant promises of rain, and the clouds
were at one time very dark and heavy, night
fell withouta drop having fallen.
The peace and order of the city was, as
usual, we'll kept. Here and there were
fellows who, in the intensity of their pa
triotism and in the exuberance of their joy,
took on more than they could carry, but
their beligerent propensities were but barely
developed, and while there was some miscon-
duct, it was SO rare as to bring out in strong
light the behavior of the people generally.
THE HowlrzsR TARaEr-pRAcrrcE.
"Strawberry Hill" the lovely farm of Mr..
Walter S. Edmond, situated about four miles
north of the city, was yesterday the scene of
| the annual. target practice and dinner Of the
Richmond Howitzers.
The company, numbering about fifty men,
with four guns. and commanded by Captain
| Carter, presented handsome appearance as
| they took up the line of march from their arm.
ory, on the City Spring lot. Arriving on the
grounds, firing began at 10 O'Clock, and con-
tinued until about half.past II. Their four
pieces were stationed on the hill just above the
Chesapeake and Ohio road, and overlooking
| wide and beautiful tract of meadow-land.
| This is bordered by the Chickahominy, from
which rises hill covered with dense forest.
Upon large tree just where the under.
growth skirts the meadow, and almost due
east from the point of shooting, was placed
the target, which was ten by twelve feet,
| with a black OF eighteen inches, and placed
/ at distance of 1,700 yards. The extended
view. with the picturesque scenery gained
from this point, is very pleasing, and the
Howilzers could not have chosen more tit
ting place for their practice, nor had more
gracious and hospitable host than Mr.. WAL
ter Edmond.
The shooting was very tiue, and does great
credit to the Howitzers. There were
taking two-three Of which number were
was the shot of Lieutenant K. 81. Bosher,
the second was made conjointly by Colonel
Bradley T. johnson and Sergeant Percy
Hawes, and the third was made by Mr.. Wal
ter Edmond, assisted by Mr.. Edward Bates
and detachment No. /. About fifteen shots
struck within twenty feet of the target, and
about eight passed between it and the
ground. -. f.....g In ..i.<-
Dinner was announced at O'Clock, at
which (besides the company there were
about seyenty-fve invited guests; the ma.
jority Of these latter came up in Especial
| car attached to the $50 train on the Chesa.
peake and Ohio railroad. r, n r.
Prominent among the guests were Mayor
| A. Nj. Kelley, Colonel Bradley It. johnson,
| Captain B. a. Smith, Jr., from New Orleans
formerly commander of the Third Com
paDy of Howilzers); Heubin Peasants, OF
New Orleans formerly member of the
Howitzsrs); Colonel William S. Gilman.
George L. Christian; Charles U. Williams,
DR.. w. 4. Palmer, Joseph Bryan, Charles l..
Todd, Captain A. W. CARRIER, F. D. Hill, j.
T. Brown, Captain Parater, and besides q
numbe of others whose names we did ncd
| learn. '~~ ~ ,,ss -.
After bountiful repast Mayor Kelley was
called upon for Speech end responded N
few playful and sprighfly remarks; in the
course Of which he paid high tribute to
the artillery in general and the Howazers
! in particular, reciting beautiful inadent
which took place at the battle Of Frederieks-
burg, where young artilleryman,. display
| ing wonderful degree of bravery and hdel-
| ity to his post, elicitad from Generaa Lee the
exclamation, "H0W splendid q thing 1t Is TO
see such courage IN one so youns!" The
young man was Pelham, OF Alabama.
At the conclusion Of bis remarks Mr.. kef
ley introduced Colonel Bradley 7. Johnsoa,
| who, in stirring little speech, commended
| very highly tbsiR organization. and said that
| no nation could expect to be always free from
war, and thai there had been some time in
the history Of every natione from the cele'
brated siege Of Troy down TO the present, Q
duy when the necessity arose for preparing
for war that from the earliest ages that OF