The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1881-05-14
.r- .ompauy Association.


TIOS-ADAY OF FEsTIvITY AND RECREATION
AT wILTON-A NOBLE RELIC OF BY-GOXt
DAYs-THE COMPANY PREsENT-THE BEST
SHOT, &C.
The semiannuaI reiini0n of Of" Com
pany Association occurring yesterday, wa.
spent by the members and their invited
guests in truly pleasant and enjoyable
manner. The Association is composed OF
members OF the original company. those
who served during the war, and later ones
who have done active dNty for five coDtin.
uous years in the present organization.
The party. numbering about thirty. left
the city at $3.50 O'Clock yesterday morning
for Wilton In q barge lowed by the tug
Vulcan. The halfbour or more consumed
In reaching that pleasant locality seemed
but few seconds TO those veterans, who
had begun to figh; their battles DER
again." and found that they had, so to
speak, hardly got to secondly before the
Vulcan'S whistle sounded for the Wilton
landing. Here the "vets at once dis
| posed themselves in a manner to derive the
most pleasure and comfort.
Wilton is located on the James about
seven miles below Richmond, from which
il i easily reached by county road or boat.
II is a place around which clusters many
historic memories. In April, 1861. when
the false report OF the Pawnee's advance
I IN the James threw this city into a frenzy
of excitement and the people prepared to
repel and prevent the incursion, Wilton
was the point to which "F" Company,
the Governors Guard, Fayette Artillery,
and other companies marched TO meet
the presumed invader. During the war
that followed General Lees headquarters
were more than once established at Wilton.
its remoter memories are lost by the death
OF former owners, but it is known that il
was place OF repute and the scene where
genuine Old virginia hospitality was daily
shown when Varina was the county-seat OF
Henrico and the place selected tor the IOca-
lion of a college that never arrived at ma.
turity. When Colonel TarliOn and General
Benedict Arnold laid waste that part Of
Henrico in 1880. burning the courthouse
and records and committing other similar
acts, Wilton was IN its glory. 1t was one OF
the last OF a number Of landed estates OF
which the Henrico Randolphs were once
owners. The daught OF its last Randolph
owner married James Brooks, OF New York.
then editor Of the Express, OF that city, and
afterwards. icr many years. member OF
Congress from the same city. Ii was pur-
chased lust before the late war by Colonel
William {. Knight, who sold IL about 1861
10 a Mr.. Cromwell. OF Pennsylvania. the
present owner. for whom 1t is managed by
Mr.. James VI. Gum. The house Is one OF
The few remaining specimens Of the archl-
lecture Of the dnCien regime. It's halls are
cOmmodiOus, and the first story OF the
building was finished in panelled mahog-
any-a style much in vogue anterior TO the
Revolutionary war. Unfortunately sub
sequent owner OF the mansion deemed
it III 10 obscure it with coat OF white
paint, 80 the effect Of that high art in old
time architecture is lost. The mantels are
OF marble. and the staircase. which i
graceful and spacious, is also heavily
rallied with mahogany. The building Is
of brick. but they were not, aS i
commonly supposed, brought from Eng
land, icing OF native manufacture.
Building material OF this sor; has been
made in perfection in Virginia since the
first settlement at Jamestown-in fact, those
u,ed IN Virginia, which were English brick,
found their way hther as ballast TO vessels
coming over for tobacco. That such ar
rivals were infreQuent is shown by the few
houses remaniDgin Eastern Virginia really
built OF English brick.
The members OF the Association who
were present Yesterday were Captain
Charles Il. Skinker, president; Captain
Maxwell L. Clarke, ylce.pre>ident; Cap
tain Henry L. Miller, Captain Robert II.
Gillian, Captain Edward Mayo, DR.. +. ID.
Cunningham, Il. ID. Tompkins. A. 5. Wat
kins. John w. Powell, Thomas Elicit, John
A. Pizzni, John Tyler, Louis thinner. DR..
w. Leigh Burton, X. Emmett Tyler,
Thomas \. Brander, James +. Tyler,
Henry Beers. John f. Meredith. Jesse
Child, &. II. Baughman, W. I. knight,
W. q. knight. Among the invited guests
were Captain TazeweIl Elicit and Lieu
tenant c. ;. Crensbaw, officers Of the present
+ Company, and MesSrs. Andrew l.. Elicit
Samuel SnGon, William q. Miller, and
others.
The dinner, composed OF every deIicacy,
Superbly cooked, was furnished by Mr..
John u. Smelling. TO its discussion every
man addressed himself with pleasing alac-
rity and decided unanmity. The head Of
the table was occupied by Captain Charles
Il. skinker, president OF the Association.
1t is a rule OF the Association that speaking
as an accompaniment to the absorption OF
lis viands shall he the exception, not the
rule. So there were no speeches. The one
toast which was offered WAS drunk stand
ng and in silence, as follows:
"Our Deld-Our nobIest credential. eX-
employing all OF social excellence and the
highest attributes OF manhood"
After dinner the Association and guests
participated in the old military amusement
OF target.practice. THIS resulted in DR..
w. Leigh Burton. the weIl.known editor OF
a "popuar and influential Journal" aston.
ishng his friends by his remarkable display
in the line Of craftsmanship, and he was
awarded the silver medal as the best shot.
In line Of similar endeayor Captain Louis
Zlmmer managed TO fail so signalIy that a
medal OF different material was talked Of
for him, but he managed to satisfactorily
explain the circumstances leading to his
great disappOintment-a squirrel had
crossed his range OF vision and so diverted
his ann, thereby saving the target Zone OF
large dimensions) free from any damage
through his eXertlons.
The Association started on lis return
home about sundOwn, reaching the city
about $40 after an eXhilarating ride over
the placid surface OF the noble james.
The corps represented by Of" Company
Association was formed nearly twenty-five
wears ago, and has always stood, as it does
now, in the ranks OF our foremost citizen
soldery. During the late war IL lost many
men and officers, and many other compa-
nies were differed from its ranks.
ANNIVERSARY OF THE GRAYs.-The Rich
mond Grays turned out with full ranks at
their regular weekly drill last night, having