The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-05-28
g Tas HSWissieari s. : 'iis'iY.actaes. 3 |. 8.
4 APTELD-DAYs AT FsTRAWBERaY H1Lf. AN OH
Z DERaAGxNsr aPEECH-MAKISG-pLEA

4 DsHi HixdnNsr Observation-Disclosures
/ II MD BOOMING OF THEiGUNs. B
is Yesterday fbe target-practice Of the Rich
lmond HoHitzers took place at Strawberry
fHilI, the Beautiful iarm Of Mr.. w Edmund,
tsituatet abont three miles from this city, on
the Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. The
place Is admirably suited for such an osea-
| sion. and this, when connected with the
whole-souled and agreeable mana9ementof
Mr.. Edmund, who always manifests the
EfiGeliest interest in entertaining the Howit-
zers,i renders their annual practice one Of
i the most enjoyable occasions OF the kind it
| is our pleasure to chronicle. The yearly
recurrence OF this celebration is not only
| great source OF pleasure to the individual
4 members Of the command, but Is perhaps en-
! ioyed to greater degree by the veteran ex-
/ Howitzers, who are then enabled to indulge
freely in "reminiscences OF the war, sing their
old camp songs, and, above all, smell pow.
| der and listen to the exciting music OF the
death-bearing rife guns, secure from q re-
turn fire. W
,,; THE RICHMOND H0wITZERs
are fine body, Of men and Jolly good fel-
lews. But, above all, they are chiefly con-
spicuous for the unremitting and polite at
tentions they always accord their guests, and
for their quiet and aentlemanly demeanor.
Like true and welidlsciplined soldiers they
carefully avoid anything Hike boisterous ca-
rousiDg. 60 ~ - i@9s ~.
| Under the command OF Captain 3. G.
Wortham and Lieutenants e. j. Bosher and
G. P. Hawes, they reached Strawberry Hfil
at an early hour in the morning. Here they
were joined later IN the day by the staff OFF,
GERS OF the battalion, Major Carter, Major
e. O.. Tompkns (surgeonI Captain Carlton
Mccarthy t(adintant), and Lieutenant
Aborn, together with the invited guests,
most Of whom were members Of the old
HowitZer Association. j. los
+ 20 Ic, THE FIRING u
began about u O'Clock and continued until
short while before dinner. It was then
renewed about 8 o'clock, and continued
until little after 4. The target was placed
on the lower edge Of beautiful piece Of
meadow-land, about 1900 yards from the
. battery, which was situated ION the bluf
just above the railroad. Not taking into
; consideration the fact Of the inequality of
/ the loads Of powder consequent upon the
reduction OF charges to suit tie range (and
this was q great drawback), the shooting
generally was very fine. There were six
shots which struck the target. The best
shot was made by Mr.. Il. T. Patterson,
who struck within the second ring
OF the black. The others; in order Of
excellence, were Major e. Q. Thomp-
kins, w. S. Simons, Robert Grafton,
fired well-directed shell, which, upon ex-
ploding, sent fragment. through the tar
get: This firing, as compared with recent
practice OF Battery b OF the New York vol
unteers, is highly creditable to our boys.
The New Workers, who, perhaps. pay more
attention to the art than they do in their
practice, out OF two hundred shots only
struck the target five times, while the How
itzers, in not half that number OF Shots
struck their target six times. r9gt
THE BANQUET i. q 10
was bounteously served up in the large
barn of the place, and after grace had BEEN
said by Rev.. John William Jones, and On
order read by the Adiutant, which brought,
CONSERVATION to the politicians present who
were readytto grace the occasion with a.
.feU appropriate remarks, was much en-
| ioyed by all present. The order, which
nipped in the bud the unborn effulgence Of
some modest Demosthenes, was as follows:
HEADQUARTERS RICHMOND HowrTzsRs, L
y.Gs Strawberry HILL, May 2T, 1S78.' y
SPECIAL ORDERS No. I. 80 :tilaa9s q
/ I. No member OF this company, g or any
| other man." will be allowed, under any cir-
! cunlstances, to make speech within range
ofthis battery. ~ h2& ,st'-'S = ~
II. The sergeant Of the guard has orders J
forthwith to- arrest any one manifesting The
slightest indication, of such purpose, and
report to the officer Of the day, who will in
the presence OF the assembled battery, with
piece carefully loaded and double-shotted
with canister, and pointed by the most ex-
perienced gunner in the battery, require the
prisoner to- hit the target at point-blank.
range. ..a.,. -,
BY order OF Captain Wortham.
i s.& W. E. SlMoNs, O. S.
/ "2. AN AMUSING TRIAL.
The, banquet over, the company were
quietly seated, smoking and chatting, when
it was noised about that certain politician
recently elected to the Council from Monroe
Ward, who was an old HowitZer, and now
q prominent bookseller on Main street, in
defiance OF the peremptory orders to the con-
i trary, contemplated addressing !" oi poltot.',
+ A court was at once improyised with Judge
George Christian on the bench, Mr.. Henry
Il Hudnall as Commonwealth's attorney, and
Captain Carlton Mccarthy rs clerk. The
, prisoner selected for his counsel Captain
John S. Wise, and that gentleman had just
begun a pathetic and touching argument IN
; behalf of his client, when guard, under
the command Of Sergeant Barrett, appeared
|, I,upon the scene and arrested both the prt-
, soner and counsel for the defence. Under
the supervision Of the military, tue trial was
, then carried on with adegree OF spirit. and
, humor highly interesting, and the Judge
rendered the decision that the Court found
the prisoner guilty because he had been re-.
Gently elected to the City Coun ell. ade.5it'
: /, .s.!. THE DRILLING oPovETERANs i'h -
!. was an amusing feature Of the day. a num-
:, Der. OF old uowitzers, who had served
4 during the war, were formed in line and
taken through the drill at the guns, and it
/ was found, to the surprise OF all, that with
few exceptions they had forgotten more
, than they ever knewpl Among the number
!, t'were Messrs. r. Bosher, j. Il. .Ellysen, j..
N. Crump, John s. Elicit, John G. Tatum.
Edward VIM, Julian Mccarthy, j. b.
:: Lambert, John Booker, Blythe Moore; +.
D. Hill, James Grigg, Charles Poindexter,
! William Page, and Charles Wingo.
The day was spent most pleasantly, and
!, the practice reflected great credit upon the
: Howitzers as a military organization.
} EXCURSION TO OLD PoINT AND NORFOLK
= Their former effort during the early part OF
> 1.-THE month having been frustrated by the
!, continued bad weather which then prevail
. ed, the ladies OF the Centenary Methodist
;! Episcopal church will give On excursion te
: Old Point. Norfolk, and Portsmouth on
: Thusday, 9th OF June. 1t promises to bt
: one of the most pleasant ever made by them
J and it is hoped they will meet with toe
\! hearty support OF their many friends. Z
= The fast steamer Ariel has been engaged
II ~ Ia as,Ha nj