Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1879-05-31
The Beginning of Guns

The Beginning of Guns
10 1916 orossbows we're in pretty general use
among the Eaglsh, but new era 10 war was
to be inausurated, for with the army of Edward
ILL., lat Cressy) came five small pieces of cam
oou, species of weapon supposed 10 be uu.
known 10 France, though osnnon are spoken of
| in 9 sea epgapement 10 the tbirtCeoth century
between the King Of Tunis and Moorish King
of Seville. By whom the five pieces ol cannon
we're made is uocertaio; but lie Blond, in his
"rreatise on Artillery" says that the earliest
guos "were of very clumsy aud iuconvenlent
make, beng usually form ID Of several pieces 1t
iron fitted together lengthwise, and then hoop
| ed with iron rings; and as they were Us d tor
the throwing OF soues of prodigious weight,
they W ,ra OF enormous bore" The "DIctlon
aire Mtalre" (l75S) asserts that csnnou
were known 10 Frsoce." according to s,me
| authors 10 1885, uoder PhiIip, but koown OF
| ouly. "Nevertherss. says Voltaire, "tlIl the
reign of Charles WILL artillery contioued 10
| its Infancy. They did GOT make u.' Of artillery
10 sieges ill the reigu Of Charles v, kinE OF
| France; aud the spear was their principal Weap'
on till the reign of Henry w." No more
| mention is made of cannon 10 the Eoslish
/
at the siege Of Berwick shot from
one great gun Sd shattered tower
! that the gates we're at opce thrown open by the
| alarmed garrison. 10 the year l46O James
| H., of Scotland lost his life by the bursting nt
| ooe of these rude implements of war. At the
seige of Roxburgh. standing in the vicinity OF
| a gun which Was about to be discharged. the
rude mass composed Ct ribs of iron, bouod to-
gether by hoops OF the same metal. burst as
under and fragment striking the King on
| the thigh. broke it, and killed him on the spot
Hand Ruos we're not then loV'nted, but at the
battle of Chipping Barnet l477l mentlon IS
made of 800 Jennings armed with hand guos,
uuU ur Thea, Gus Iuuliuu history does uut tell.
At the battle of FIodden. 1913 James OF
Scotland bad with him thirty pieces OF artillery
| " ,icb bad been cast for him at EiloburRh. by
| the master gunuer of the Castle, Robert Borth
| wick. Seven of these guos were OF great
| beauty, and were kpoWn as the Seven Sisters
of Bortbwlck" The cannon Of the EogIish
| were of Inferior make to those used BY the
Scots, beiug composed Of hoops aud bars
The first cast iron guos of Eogsh manu'ao.
ture we're made at Bux ed, 10 Sussex, 10 l543,
| by Ralph HOgge. master founder. About this
time there also came toto use guns called argue:
buses, which were fred ftom rest planted
uto the earth. The French were now max:
|
| brass guns, for in 1545, when Francis |. was
preparing to invade Englaod, we fod him (ao
cordlng to Pere DsuieI) possessing 10 his fleet
one ship carrying 100 brass guos. At tho
battle of Piukie, l543 pistols were 10 use
among the Germans and others employed 10
| the English army. rhe canooD we're now pro-
vded with iron balls Instead OF the pondcrous
stone ooes 10 use previous 10 this date. Hste
also We iud mention of the wheel lock pistol.
| Carbioes, petronels and dragons arc frequently
| mentioned amuog the FIRE arms OF the age.
The first was so named from having been used
| 10 the vessels called earabs the second from
being fred with its square butt planted on the
chest the third, from its mnzze b.log ffe'
nuentlg decorated with dragons head-heuce
the troopers who used it came subsequently, to
be Damed dragons. The wheel lock hackout
was used 10 Enz .beth's reign, With the rest OF
the heavy matchbox, but the powder was now
made up 10 cases. each Containing complete
charge 10 facilitate the loading Of the piece.
and the strap to which they were attached was
named collar or baodollcr.
| ASTEAM WEDDIHG Last Wednesday morn
ing the eastward bound train drew up To the
little station of Richmond, on the Stonington
| railroad and man ofsome seventy winters ana
q maiden of some twenty FIVE summers stepped
TO the platform. Rev Mr.. -- was III Wait
ing with his carriage to take the couple to his
| residence where the ceremony WAS 10 bs per.
| f-rmed which should make them man ana Wi1e.
| Blu, instead of the youthful par ent-ring tne
| Carriage the brideYroon-expectant hurfleoly
Inquired when the next west "srd oouno traln
| wa, due On being told that only i've mloutes
would elapse before that important event. he
eiscu at II sm in hurry. We must return
by the next trsir LIS going t. rain we
must De married !" They entered the humble
waiting room of the depot, there TO t.ke upon
themselves the bonds that none Out 1ou can pus
a,nnd-r. Time sped on Tue hands OF the
cock moved slowly, but !hey moved exceeolhs-
ly sure Considerable OF tne limited time was
| consumed in filling out the cert Il ;ate &C. unlil
the station sgsut suggested mat tae uue Ha'
| 'onlv two minutes now" just then The we T.
ward bound train rounded the curve approach
| ing the ststion Just as if there never was sucn
things in all the world Us Weddings ano Pe'9le1'
| ed youths and moidens. But the reverend ter,
want OF Hymen WIS eqnsl to the occasion ana
brought the aft air to speedy crisis ss folio Vs.
Join h.nds You take this man 10 be your
huebsnd !'
"ies.n -,
you take this woman to be your wife?'
Yes"
II pronounce you man and wife"
| Some silver dollars jnged merrlly ana tne
conductor called AL sbosrd!' The train lett
tho ,t.,ion and with it the happy psir-HaTra'
ganssH Herald
For New York custom made CLOTHING,
warranted not to rip. see s. DEALHAM. oz
= = King st., corner Of Fairfax.
Alexandra, Va, May 20, 1879;
, WE, TIE UNDERSlGNED, mutus.ly
w sgree with each other to close our respec' reg d
tive places of business daily st toe n6u1 $50 ;p
m. from June lst to September l''n' 1912 III
: elusive, Saturdays excepted:
\ G. Wu. kamssy, D. Ho5,