Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1892-12-14

of official reports signed by officers
whose names are now enrolled among
the heroes OF history.
There were few better equipped COM
mands IN the Confederate service than
the Howitzers, but they were in no wise
"holiday soldiers. Their list OF dead
and wounded shows that they went
where the bullets fell thickest. And q
tine came when their bright uniforms
became ragged and soiled with the mud
of the trenches when some of them had
no shoe-leather between the soles OF
their feet and the fo;en earth; when
for food they were glad to have raw
bacon and parched corn, and were con-
tent to make their beds on piles Of leaves
in fence-cOrners.
They served faithfully they fought
bravely they were in the little band
that surrendered al Appomattox Court
house, and then they came to Richmond
and began life anew.
The men who made the best soldiers
also mike the best citizens. This has
been found to be true nearly every
where, and it is a maxim especially APP
picable to the Howitzers. 1t is really
remarkable how many of them have
risen to eminence in the learned profess
sions; how many have prOspered In
business life, and how many OF them are
identified with the great enterprises IN
Richmond. More of their survivors live
here than in any other community, but
"old HoWitzers" are to be found IN
every quarter of this country, and most
of them are well-to-do men men who
review their army life with pride, who
love their old comrades, and who delight
in reunions such as yesterdays pro-
gramme afforded.
Richmond is trying to do her duty in
building to the memory OF
those who lost their lives in the Con-
federate struggle for independence.
There is a granite shaft in the midst OF
$1,000 soldiers graves at lakewood
cemetery; pyramid Of stone, 90 feet
high, towering over $4,000 graves at
HOLLYWOOD SToNEwALL JACKSON has
bronze statue on the Capitol Square
LEE an equestrian statue at the west end
of Franklin street PICKETT a monument
in Hollywood cemetery; WICKHAM one in
Monroe Park; 4. T. Hill one on our
northwestern suburbs; the Howitzers
one in the West End; the private sol
diers' grand monument on Libby Hill
"a reproduction of POMPEY's pillar is
nearly completed; the old cavalrymen
have resolved to build a monument to
STUART, and the United Confederate
Veterans OF all the South have joined
with the Davis Monument Association
of Richmond to build one here to the
memory of the Hon. JEFFERSON DAVIS.
We 10y no means claim that all the
money for building all these monuments
was furnished by Richmond. This city
did her part, but had much help from
other Virginia communities and from
other States. AS for SToNEwALL JACK
SONS statue, it was presented to Virginia
by English admirers of that hero, and
the General Assembly furnished the
money for the pedestal. All the other
Confederate monuments here we're, how
ever, built by popular subscriptions.
Never was monument fund so
quietly accumulated as the Howitzers.
The fact is that their own members gave
the bulk of it. This done, one of the
old officers furnished the design from
which the sculptor made his model.
The site chosen for the monument is
a triangular city lot, bounded by Grove
and Park avenues and Harrison street.
Grove avenue separates it from the
Grove-Avenue Baptist church-a hand
some new structure with tall tower,
which is landmark in that section of
the West End.
For the benefit Of old soldiers who
knew Richmond during the war, but
who would scarcely recognize the West
End now, let us say that the Howitzer
Monument is two squares west OF Mon
roe Park ("t the old fairgrounds y and
is on an avenue lying between Main and
Franklin streets an avenue that leads
into and in the county OF Henrico be-
comes part of the Grove road. 1t is in
little slip where three streets meet
and in neighborhood quite thickly
built with elegant homes, and is only
two or three hundred yards distant from
Richmond College.
Let Virginia rejoice that she had such
young men as the Howitzers to spring 70
her call in her hour OF need. Let US
drop tear for those who died in the
war, whether they fell at their guns or
were picked of" by the enemy in the
march, or died in Confederate hospitals
from wounds or disease, or surrendered
to starvation and il.treatment on the
enemy's prison-pens. Nor let us forget
those equally worthy ones who served
through all the conflict of arms, but
have since rejoined their lost comrades
on the farther shore.
Yesterday was the anniversary OF the
company and of the battle OF Fredericks-
burg. and for that reason was very APP
propriately chosen as the time for the
unwilling Of the monument 1t was q
day of chill and damp. but the Howit-
zerr and their fellow-soldiers of
Richmond made a beautiful street pa
rade, after leaving the Theatre, where
the Grafton OF the day was delivered, and
then they marched TO the monument
and ratea1 Aha xast &c., A. -