The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-12-11
THE HoWITzER ASSOCIATION.
Data From the Minutes OF Its First Meet.
ing-The First Officers and the Last.

Oltd HEOIn tnC mlnuits OF IT'S FIRST Meet.
ing-The First Officers and the Last
The Howltzers' Association, which COM
prises many Of the most prominent citl-
zens Of the State. was organized ten
years after the close Of the war. The
following minutes. taken from the record
book Of the first meeting, give a sue
cinct description Of its purposes:
Pursuant to a call. there was a meet
ing on the afternoon OF December 3 ia
| in the room Of the court OF appeals. 4
the surviving members OF the Richmond
! HoWitzer Battalion for the purpose Of
organization Colonel John c. Shields
/ was called 10 the chair and Dr. TheO. l..
/ Mayo acted as secretary.
ION motion Of Captain Henry Hudnall
! a committee of five was appointed 10
/ suggest plan Of organization. as follows:
| Captain Henry Hudnall. Captain william
| p Palmer. Captain Henry &. Carter,
Mr.. W. =. Grettcr and Robert S Bosher.
They submitted the following report:
The first month Of the year 1851 VIII
be memorable I'm all time 20 come. His
tory has recorded the great events Of
that period and the results which follow
ed. Virginia was not neutral in the
mighty contest then commencing, nor was
she slow to move when the day FOR Il
ton arrived. War, sanguinary. tediods
and mournful. begun TO hang her lurikl
mantle over the horizon when VrgiuHl
summoned her sons to the field OF corn
flict.
Among the earliest to respond 20 IN
call was an artillery command Of IN
city OF Richmond then a company with W
battery Of six pieces, which I'm a fe
days after entering barracks was ~
cruited TO the strength Of three full /
companies under battalion organizatiOn&
1t was early ordered 10 the front, IA q
First moving TO the Manassas line anF
the Second and Third Companies to the
Peninsula. And thus We had first thf
Richmond .Howitzers, organized as =
company, November 3, 1913 and a baq-
TALON bearing the same name in May
1861. The part performed by the corps
through a long war is IN history.
1T Is incumbent on those who survive
10 form associations and make permanen'
organizations whereby there will be pre-
served and transmitted accurate kno"r
edge Of that band Of true and good mem
Of their individual worth their uhri-
vailed devotion and faithful services to
their country, for which they shed their
blood and yielded up their lives.
AT present there are enough VINO sur
vive to accomplish this purpose, but de-
view shall be perfected ana that from
the existing Howitzer company which
has succeeded in regular order the nrst
must come the membership. II is, there
fore. incumbent on US to guard with pa
ternal watchfulness ana interest those
who are TO come after us.
I'VE will aid il In counsel and with ma
teriaI resources. and stimulate the young
men OF our community 20 become en-
rolled and serve with the honored and
trusted comrades there to be found, re-
Numbering that the same State and the
same people and the same sacred hearth
stones which prompted their predecessors
to patriotic action will be their incentive
now. We, therefore, now form ourselves
into an organization 10 be known as the
Richmond Howitzer Association"
Then followed the rules and regulations
for the government OF the Association,
which provided that all names on tho
muster rolls Of the three companies and
who, in the opinion Of the executive COM
mittee, were entitled 10 honorable dis
charges on the 9th OF April, 1866. and al
who were previously honorably dis
charged be enrolled as members IN COM
pliance with the regulations which were
established by the meeting I'm question.
In like manner IL was provided that az
who received honorable discharge from
the company hereafter might become
members
The first officers OF the Association
were elected at this meeting as foilowsi
President. Colonel John G. Shields; First
Vice-President, Captain Henry Hudnal;
Second Vice President. Captain Henry G.
Carter; Secretary. Robert $. Bosher
Treasurer, Richard c. Workman.
The following are the officers elected NJ
the last annual meeting. November II,
1892: President, j. b. Moore: First Wee
President. j.. O. Davis; Second Vice
President, Joseph NJ. Fourqurean; Ex-
ecuuve Committee. Major Robert stiles.
Charles w. Harwood. Julian Mccarthy
a. O. Jones. N. NJ. Starke and ). y.
Hughes: Secretary, Charles G.. Bosher;
Treasurer. w. IL. Tatum.