The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-12-13
VETERAN H0NITZERS.
FROM BETHEL TO APPOMAT-
TOX" 10 THEIR DEVICE.

They VIII Hold Their hnniversary To-
Night with Their successors and Review
Their Campaign, sketch of the Orgsni-
lations.
Twentv-seVcn wears ago to-day the battle
o. Fredericksburg was fought In that
battle the three companies Of the Richmond
Howitzer-. though in different commands.
were ON the same field. The survivors of
those companies. known as the Richmond
Howiizors' Association, have made the day
their anniversary, and 20 celebrate it Will
have banquet Tonight. 90 which the pres
emf company of llOWitzers will march. The
gathering will Doe less formal than usual.
and it is expected that the evening will pass
more pleasantly. AZ such time reminis-
cencos Of their fighting days come 10 the
veterans. and as the public generally is
unable to enjoy them q brief sketch of The
llowitzcr- may Dee Of interest.
On October Is. 1859. Governor Henry A..
Wise received a tclcgram-"An lnsurfec-
ton has occurred at llarpcr's Ferry. \
band of AbOltionsis are in full possession
of the United states Arsenal. I'm express
train was fired twice. and one Of the railroad
hands "a nser0l was Killed while Dee was try
iug 90 get the train through the town. The
insurgents arrested two men who came into
town with load of wheat. took the wagon
and loaded il with rifles and sent them over
10 the Maryland shore. The band Is
composed Of "a number of whites.
followed hv band of negroes. who
are lighting" Instantly Virginia responded,
and among the first organizations resulting
from tine trouble was the Richmond llOwit-
z.r-. organized hy George W. Randolph
upon the plan of adapting the naval howit-
zer % land service. At "a meeting held No
Ncmbcr och the organizer, MIR Randolph, a
wcll-kuOWn lawyer. was elected captain.
The next week the company. with the Blues.
went 10 the scene of the troubles at the call
Of Colonel lucius Davis. who had an
nOunced "a rum0r that an attempt would be
made Ia rescue John Brown at Charles
town. The popularity of the llowit-
zcr, 50 increased that nj the call
Ol the state i'm 1861 they hau
grown 10 three companies. Then, on April
:.Oth. ut the Baptist College. formed bat
TALON Of artillery. Captain Randolph was
elected Major. Mr.. John {. Shields was
elected Captain of the First Company. John
and Robert &. Stanard Captain of the Third.
The battalion ai that time numbered about
three hundred men. They did not remain
together long. as the First Company was
ordered In MAY to Manassas. and the rapid
movements OF the next few months resulted
in many changes aud separations. The work
Of MIR. Carlton Mccarthy. Rev. T.. {. Gordon,
Captain Henry lludnall. diaries of William
l.. White. T. r. Baker, Creed I. Davis,
John MaldrOp. William \. MOrdecai. Reu-
ben Il. Peasants, and fugitive pamphlets.
give interesting details of the life of the
HOwitzpr- during the great struggle. They
We're moi composed only OF Richmond men,
but were reinforced 10y such men as the
Nenablcs. Estill. McCabe. Wakeham, An
dersou, Burwcll. Blair, Mann. and many
Others who came from Louisa, Chesterfield,
Charlotte. Alhcmurle. Buckingham, Flu
wanna. Halifax. Grange. Cumberland. Pow
hatan. Caroline. Campbell. llenrico, Prince
Edward. James city. Rockingham, Amelia.
aud other counties; from New York, North
Carolina. Baltimore, Wheeling. Arkansas,
10 swell The ranks. Every man should have
his record preserved and the history Of the
deeds Of an the gallant souls would I'LL a
large and interesting volume.
What part of Virginia did they not visit
In the pines. through the sNanps, IN rolling
Piedmont fertile shenandoah. the >Outhwest 1,
by the James. Rappahannock and Chesa-
pcake. they made their old guns hum. In
MARYLAND aud Pennsylvania they made their
influence felt and some to-day carry scars
ofmany conflicts. while others sealed their
principles with their life blood.
While they were IN many conflicts their
principal battles were: Bethel Church. June
10. 1861: DeuX skirmish, July .. 1861;
Encrson's Mil, June SO, 1862; Gaines
Mills. July /. 1862: frayzer's Farm. July
3. 1862; MaycOck's Landing. August 1862;
IharlestOwn. October i6. 1862; Williams
port. Md. September 10. 1862; Fredcricks-
burr. December IS. 1862; Cecherine Fur
naces. May ,. 1868; Charlottesville, May,
iSsss: Winchester. June, 1863; Gettysburg,
Jul, and 4. 1853; Mine Run. SpOitsylNania
Courthouse. MAY 10. II and Is; Pole Green
Church, June l. 1861: New Market Heights,
August II. 1851. Laurel Hin Church, sep
tembcr -, 1854; Darbytown Road. October
10. 1864; Dcatonyille. April 6. 1864; Apo
mattox Courthouse. May 10, 1860.
Prom the companies which went to war
nearly three hundred commissioned officers
were sent forth. As fast a. these promo
tiCns We're made the vacancies were filled,
and this accounts for the great number of
officers given 10 the Confederate forces, and
the fill compliment always maintained lay
the llOwiilers.
When the war came 20 an end the Howit-
zcrs were dsbauded. bat filed with the idea
of glory "a the Nanquished. the survivors Of
the battalion determined 20 hold the organ
ikatiOn together. and a. early as 1866 Major
Henry l.. Carter and Others interested ia the
scheme. resolved 10 meet as a Howitzer
Club. This was done, and the lIcwitzers
met in the Currie house first, and after
ward i'm the Wing building, until
the State WAS admitted into the Union.
during the administration Of Governor Gil /
bert {. Walker. Then, under the law, they I
had "A right 20 form a volunteer military or /
sanizaiion. and this resulted In the election /
Il the following named officers: Captain. /
Henry l.. Carter; First Lieutenant, Il. &.
NOrIham; Second Lieutenant, +. J. B0shcr; I
Third Lieutenant. W. :. White, all Of whom
we're war Ilowitzers. The organization
vas perfected In the then vacant house, next
o the present American Hotel. Captain
'after was made Major Of the Battalion Of
Artillery for the state. and he was succeed
d by Lieutenant Workman, who resigned,