The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1892-09-14

&~S.5SA s fha n spirit among an ",g
Louisiana than of any other section of the
south. They had been forced into the
United States federation against their
will and protest when Napoleon l bar
tered the magnificent empire of the Mis-
sissippi valley to the republic for song.
turn of n hand in 1861 might have
placed Louisiana independent of both
the Union and the Confederacy, but the
hand didn't turn, and the Pelican State
cast her fortunes in with Dixie. AS sort
OF left over from previous war outfits,
New Orleans in 1861 boosted of a crack SOL
der company, big with past glories cling
ing to its name, If nothing more That was
the Washington artillery, dating from
1910. 1t was originally the artillery COM
pany of the Washington regiment, legion
of infantry. artillery and cavalry In the
Mexican war the artillerists served under
Taylor on the Rio Grande and afterward.
until 1861, the company was kept up Mt the
expense of its members and was the peer
OF any citizen troop in the south
When the state decided to paddle its
own canoe in the secession fracas, the
Washingtons stepped to the front as the
men for the hour Cadets" "Rifies."
'Grays." "Chasseurs," Guards and
other schoolboy bands with picturesque
names rallied to the lead of the cannon
GERS. The commander of the Washingtons
was j. b. Walton, and when the tocsin
from faroff Virginia sounded along the
gulf shore he rendered jeff Davis govern
ment battalion of $50 men with nine Gun
non ready to take the field The forma-
ton was four companies or batteries. and
while there were not guns enough to 20
around, and such rs there were were of
ancient pattern, the deficiency was soon
made up from captured cannon.
In the Confederate service batteries were
specially designated by the names of the
commanders and these necessarily changed
often; hence the Washingtons were known
to friends and enemies by various titles,
yet the name Washington artillery chung
to them, and attachments claiming it were
so numerous That the corps seemed ubiuui-
tous, like the troopers of Mosby, Morgan
and Forrest
The first fight of the Washingtons was
Mt Bull Run. One detachment had n duel
across the stream Mt Blackburn's ford on
July Is with Benjamins famous United
States battery, and won SO easily that the
men thought the war would be n picnic for
them fighting at long range. They changed
their minds however, in the battle of the
2lst The battalion was split in five de-
tachments to guard the fords and hills with
their bulldogs, and SO about every Union
soldier on that field can say that he fought
the Washington artillery. They were at
times outshot by our regulars, charged
upon by volunteers, stampeded by the panic
that our flank movement carried into Beau
regards lines; but they rallied again when
Johnston's succoring column dashed up
from the Manassas railway and turned the
tide at Il stroke. Then Walton had gath
cred his guns on Henry HILL Beauregard
rode tn the SnOt n n ayo nip,al u t,,y
ing of the men: "Hold this position and
the day Is ours. Three cheers for Louisi-
anal" Creole pride and creole blood needed
no other spur than Beauregard's appeal.
and the Washingtons cheered and fought
their guns and held the hill, history tells
us with what result.
The chief feature of the corps device of
the Washington artillery was the head of
fierce tiger. showing his ugly fangs. ready
to mangle his prey. This was seen every
where ut Bull Run on the guidons of each
section. and in the badly scared state OF
mind of most people who jostled against
Walton's guns it probably seemed as
though the Bull Run thickets were tiger
lairs. Bob Wheat's Louisiana battalion of
infantry got away with the name Tigers
or it would doubtless have rested where it
belonged, and considerable history would
turn on the doings of the 'Tiger cannon
GERS" instead of the Washington artillery.
The United States batteries opposed to
the Washingtons at Bull Run were the
famous ones of Ricketts, and Griffin. The
creole boys did so well that the old army
generals on their side showered them with
praises and their government took up the
cue. The rank of colonel of artillery was
created for Walton, and he was made chief
of that branch of service in the Army Of
Virginia, his battalion being placed in re-
serve.
During the battles in front of Richmond
in 1862 the Washington artillery enjoyed
Its holiday in reserve and scarcely kept it's