Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-10-06

Interesting Facts-Captain ". W. Cor.
coran-Lafayette's Reception The
Truth Of History vindicated.

Interesting Facts-Captain W. W. Cor.
coran-Lafayette's Reception The
Truth of History vindicated.
| To the Editor Of THE EVENING STAR:
Your correspondent f'Truth," In The STAR OF
26th instant, volunteers fat contradiction of
the statement made by me in former commu-
nication to the effect that Mr.. John D. Clark
was not in command Of the military organize
ton known as the Mechanical Rifemen," of
Georgetown. at the time Of Lafayette's visit to
Washington, in 1924, and that my father the late
William Jewell. was in command on
that occasion. He insinuates that 1 am pre-
sumptuOusly stating facts OF which. in conse-
quence of my extreme youth, could have had
no personal knowledge. He gratuitously COM
pliments me with having "a very retentive
| memory" thinks that ''must have been
very precocious child" and winds up his article
with the usual effrOntery of a man under
cover of a mask by suggesting that twill favor
the public with my age in 1924" 1t was a wise
thing on the part of Truth" to adopt soubri-
Q,tet by which he could conceal his identity from
| the public, which he pretends to be DESTROYS of
serving, while he puts questions to man who
has the independence to come out over his own
signature in vndcation OF thetruth of history
wise, for the reason that he will thereby be able
to conceal the modification incidental
' Of ae ssp0, whoh he so ' dosg a9f
cally asserts The Mechanical Riflemen' was
as its name imports, company composed al
| most exclusively Of mechanics. l state this
from personal knowledge Of the fact. Not one
the first officers of the company. ex-
cept Mr.. Clark himself and Mr.. II. w.
Tilley, was mechanic Colonel John /.
Stuli was cashier of the Farmers and Mechanics
bank, the two Cruikshanks were booksellers
and Capt. William B. Randolph was clerk in
the Treasury department. Now. with such men
| In its ranks as JudsOn Mitchell, Ninian Beall
| Robert MUMMY, John White, George w. Halter
| and William Jewell all of whom were me
chancs. and either one of whom would have
| reflected credit on the position, is it probable
| that this company of mechanics-a class always
tenacious of its rights-wouid have gone out
side of its own organization to select for its
| Chief officers bank clerks, government clerks
and booksellers? And yet, according to Truths
veracious history, they must have been beset
with difficulties in securing officers. But in
| further refutaton of his incorrect statements,
| permit me to say that every one OF the persons
| named by "Truth," except Mr.. Tilley and Col
| Stull Colonel by promotion, having been COM
| missiOned captain in 1879, were at this very
time in command of other and separate military
organizations, as shall proceed to show. It
was at this period that the militia law of 1870
| which had grown obsolete by disuse was re-
were required to organize under that law into
companies. elect officers and meet for drill once
every month, or on failure thereof to be SUBJ
lected to fine. subsequently, on the Sd of
March. 1928 an act Of Congress- supplementary
to the act of 1910, was passed for farming the
| militia of the District of Columbia" This act
| was rendered necessary in order to legalze the
| action of the War department IN furnishing
arms, as it had done in certain cases. to uni
| formed companies without requisite authority
| of law, and to enable it to furnish such other
| militia organizations with arms as might require
them, whether uniformed or not All this mill
tarv fervor of the period was the result of it's
| becoming known that General LAFAYETTE pro-
| posed at no distant day to revisit the United
| States. Under the provisions Of the above
| named acts OF Congress numerous companies
| were OrganZed,-they electing their officers
| and the government furnishing them with arms.
Or these organizations | name from personal re-
| collection and in the order in which they came
| into existence: First, the Marion Riflemen."
| commanded by Capt. William B. Randolph
| their uniform. a dark blne hunting shirt or
blouse and trousers. trimmed with red fringe,
Dlack bear skin cap, with a bucks tail on the
| side. and carrying powder horns suspended by
red cord over the shoulder: second the United
Blues, an infantry company under the COM
| mand of Capt. Thomas Corcoran-uniform. dark
blue coat, OF the swallow-tail order, trimmed
| with white lace and silver-plated bell buttons.
and pantaloOns Of the same color The privates
of this company wore also white belts and straps
crossing on the breast and back to support the
bayonet. when not fired and the cartridge
box; their'caps were of blue cloth, trimmed with
white cord and white pOmpOn; Sd, the ''Me-
chanical Riflemen," commanded by Capt VIM
Jewell uniform, green ff0ck coat and panta-
looms, trimmed with yellow lace and (coat) with
yellow bell buttons, and cap of green cloth, hay
ing three black ostrich feathers in front; and
Attn, but somewhat later, an artillery cOmpany
commanded by Capt. William w. Corcoran;
uniform dark blue suit, trimmed with red
lace. Besides the above there were two other
organizations at this time. which were not uni
formed, commanded respectively by the cap
tains Charles and Richard Cruikshank. So that
it Is utterly preposterous to assert that Ran
dolph or either one of the Cruikshanks
could have served with any propriety as
officers of the Mechanical Rifiernen," as as
serted. Capt Randolph was created ''brigade
major" after having served two or three years
as captain of the ''Marion Rifemen," on Oath
September, 1924. just about the time or but q
few months previous to the time that it is
claimed by Truth" he was elected captoin of
the mechanical Rifemen." Does this ap-
pear reasOnable2 He continued to command
has company, however, until the arrival of Gen.
Lafayette, and was present as captain on the
occasion of his reception in Washington. The
Mechanical Rifiemen" was organized in the
early part Of the year 1924. as have good rea-
son to believe. The lieutenants of the COM
pany at that time were George W. Halter.
Ninian Beall and Henry W. Tlley. and | am
strongly impressed with the belief that Mr.
John D. Clark was the orderly sergeant. though
will not be positive of that. as l never knew of
MS urilllng the cOmpany-a duty which believe
belongs to the office. The company was drilled
by my father almost every night in the second
story of an old warehouse still standing on the
north side Of Water street, in Georgetown. on
which occasions l was always permitted to be
present. was no baby at the time. and not un-
usually ''precOciOus." These nightly drills were
continued for many weeks before a uniform was
adopted. committee was at length appointed.
of which my father was chairman to design
uniform for the company. which duty was per-
formed to the satisfaction of the company and
after some slight notifications the report of the
committee was adopted. The company ceebra-
ted its first '4th OF July" after it was uniformed
Il do not remember whetherit was before or after
the arrival of Lafayette, but think it was subse
quent to that event) in Deans Rope Walk in
PARROTS Woods (this Ia the ground lying be-
tween Mrs. BOyce's residence ON Road street.
Georgetown, and Oak Hill cemetery. sub,
stantial dinner was served on the occasion.
when an Grafton was delivered BY nv father
while Mr.. JudsOn Mitchell read the Declaration
OF Independence. The tOasts on the occasion
were prepared by my father, and the identical
copy then used, in his own handwriting. was uD
to late date, and presume still u.s. in the pos
session Of his family. / do not state these facts
to magnify my father, who passed from this
sphere over twenty-five years ago but to ans