The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-05-04
THE ARTILLERY BRAVES.
REUNION OF TIE PEGRAM BATTALION
ASSOCIATION.
Election ofPcrmnncnt Ogiccrx- Rcui.
nicenccs Of n Proud Military
Organization.

4
festel day was the twentieth anniversary
OF the battle OF Charlottesville, in whlcl
sanguinary contest the Pegram battalion o.
artillery bore no inconsiderable part. Or
TINS account, when the surviving soldier,
OF that command temporarily organized an
ASSOCIATION some time since. 1t was agreed
TO hold their first reinIon on yesterday. In
accordance with this determination the
members OF the various batteries formerly
composing Colonel William Pegram's.cOm-
mand met at the corner OF Main and Tenth
streets and moved out TO the old pump
house, at which point the reiinion was TO
take place.
AS the command approached the ground.
Corporal Gardner Thompson surprised th,
| old veterans by firing n salute OF thirty.
seven rounds from 4 small cannon that had
been borrowed for the occasion. The num-
Der OF guns fired corrcsponded TO the mum
Der Of men in the Purcell Battery when
it first left the city OF Richmond.
On the parapet OF the wall in front
Of the pump-housc the battlc-llag OF
the Crenshaw Battery 1luttered in The
clear sunlight Of the bright May morn
ing. The old flag brought back tear
full memories. There on its faded face
was the battle-cross, the stars and bars, and
through its folds the sunlight streamed
from bullet-holes and rents made by hiss
ing shell. Nearly half Of the flag had been
shot away in the heavy fights OF the Army
of Northern Virginia; and the old soldiers
spoke Of this and that fight, and Of brave
comrades who went down. defending with
fhotr Exsaa fb.. honor Of fbat niDpp nj
bunting. Side by side with this relic OF the
war between brothers rested the Stars and
Stripes Of the United States. it, folds kiss
ing those of the battle-1ag on one side and
State flag OF Virginia on the other.
THE DINNER.
The Association numbers among its men,
bership two famous caterers, McSSrs. VIII
liam Smelling and John Murphy, both old
cannonecrS, and into their safe hands had
been consigned the task of preparing a feast
for the veterans. They did their duty
well, and when dinner WAS announced the
abundance OF edibles and IFS excellent
qualify was subject oi pD)YcTsal comph'
ment. The punch-bowls were full, and The
mixture was pronounced perfect. NO din
uer could have been more enjoyable than
the one spread.
General r. Lindsay Walker presided al
the dinuer. On hts right sat Colonel c. j.
Anderson, OF the First Virginia regiment,
and on his lett NJ. samuel B. Witt, Com
monwealth's attorney for Richmond.
Major Thomas \. Brander occupied the
foot of the table. and there were about fifty
veterans present.
SPEECHES AND LETTERS.
After the meal had been enjoyed and the
cloths removed General Walker arose and
said that ne expected at one time to have
had with them upon the occasion gentle
man who would have entertained them
with an address which would have con-
tanned a history of the command; but, un.
fortunately. this pleasure had been denied
them, and he thought, therefore, he would
tell briefly what he knew about the COM
mand. On the 10th April, 1861. General
Walker met Governor Letcher and PROBES
sor Smith, OF the Virginia Military lnsll'
tute. on the streets in Richmond. lie
asked Governor Letcher if he intended to
allow the enemy TO invade Virginia aiteI
being driven back from Maryland. Cover
nor Letcher said he had no troops.
"Givc me an order FOR that Parrot bat
tery YOU have, and I'll get the men," said
Walker.
Governor Letcher walked into printing
office near by and wrote the order upon
Major DrmmOck for the battery. When
Walker came out he was armed with hand
bills calling for volunteers, and in two hours
the command was organized. Soon Mtel
MEETING WITH Mr.. JOHN PURCELL,
Captain Walker told him what he had
done. and informed him OF the need OF
blankets and uniforms. Mr.. Purcell said
" Come with me- and they went to ;
clothing store, where Mr.. Purcell bought
red flannel shirts. two blankets for eac!
nan. and slick cap. The next mornlne
the Purcell Battery left Richmond in higt
boues. but, alas many neycrto return, and
Others 10 be absent for many weary moons
which were to witness wounds and suilef
inc. bIoodshcd and death. Il was Tho
first command that left Richmond anC
went direct to Alexandra, finding upon
arrival there the people scared to dcatl
from the "Pawnce." This caused the bat
| tervto be sent back to Fairfax station, anC
from this point Captain Il. Lindsay Walker
SENT TIE FIRST WAR DISPATCH
received by Governor Letcher. Here alsC
the company saw for the first Tune theii
future beloved commander, X. l.. Lee, a
he passed through the lines to oiier his ser
vices to his State. While here the com
pany was joined by the Blues, Captain y
Jennings Wise, and "F" Company, Cap
tain II. Milton Cary. IL was here. too, tha
the company secured the future commando
of the battalion. the brave young Pegranl
CoDtain Walker wanted drill-master, an(
asked Captain Cary to send him PeSram
lie then interested himself III the youn;
man and secured his election to lieuten
oncv in the company, and his promotion
foljowed. General Walker said no mel
ON the face of the earth was superlorto th
officers OF the Pegram battalion, and M
where on the face OF the universe coul'
be found better body OF soldiers than 'h
men OF the command.
4 LARGE number Of letters had been re
ceiyed. and General Walker read the fol
lowing
FROM Captain GORDON MCABE:
PETERSBURG, Va, May /, 1888.
CoDtnin Thomas Elicit, RichmOnd, Va:
Nv Dear EIlett,-I do not know when
have had so keen disappointment as
now experience in finding 1t impossible 10
me TO be with my comrades OF "the hgh
inc battalion" on the Sd. lBy The way
thot name Is no Boosting Of our own.
was given to us, you remember, by our ii
fantry comrades OF the Army OF Norther
virginia.l ,.,. 90
diers ON top OF earth that has right to fe'
an honest pride in the achievements.
themselves and their dead comrades durin
the late war it is the officers and men
peorom's battalion. They not only too
conspicuous part in every general action
Vircinia and Maryland during those fot
years. but the official reports OF A. Z. Hill
lack son. and Lee prove that theirs was a
or,nu and not a newspaper, reputation
Erefv gun of the twenty in the battalio
,yos c,ntured from the enemy, and II Ia 1