The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-03-05

| orders not TO allow anyone 10 pass the
| bounds of their duty, upon any pretext
| WHATEVER; and TO resist any attempt by
| anyone TO do so at all hazards. Many
| we're the trials of their patience and en-
| dirance. At one of the chief thorough
| fares stood a youth. musket In hand.
| holding under control mass OF travellers
In vehicles and on horseback, who for
hours vexed him with opportunities and
threats: at another point railroad train.
| filled with passengers, Kissed and
screamed and blurted out defiance In the
| face of the boy in the red Jacket but in
neither case could they be removed from
their duty. II was rot until all the pre-
parations for the execution had been per-
fected and the culprit at the gibbet. en-
closed within the lines of the military
| under General William u. Taliaferro.
that the crowd we're allowed to move
towards the place OF execution. We do
not say that other troops would not have
done as well In maintain Ing o. der under
such a trial. But we think we have a
right TO say that a company so recently
organized WAS entitled to high commen-
dalton for their conduct on that occasion.
Much also was dne TO the material of
which 1t was made up. and especially TO
the bearing and spirit Of It's captain,
whose soldierly instincts and devotion
had already greatly impressed the men
under his command.
On Monday. December 5th. the Howit-
GERS returned TO Richmond and were re-
ceived with great enthusiasm. II appeared
to them long time since they had left
their homes. and they quite naturally
imagined the camapign they had just
passed through entitled them TO consid-
Grafton as veterans. They little thought
that ere long the curtain was to rise
upon a drama to which their recent eX-
perience was but a feeble prelude, but
which was ultimately to make them ia
nous among soldiers. BY a curious CO.
incidence there was a section Of cadet
Howitzers serving at Charlestown. which
should not be COMPOUNDED with the Rich
mond company. These were from the
Virginia Military Institute; were also
dressed in gray trousers and red jackets.
and had with them two brass twelve
FOUNDER field howjtzers, bearing the coat
Of arms of the State. They were under
command OF Major T. ]. Jackson. after
wards the renowned General (StonewalD
Jackson. In 1861 these same two guns,
with two brass slx-pounders. constituted
the war battery of the first company Of
Richmond Howitzers..
AS a matter of historical interest It may
be proper to say something mere of this
Virginia Military Institute battery. 1t was
originally composed of two howitzers and
four six-pounders, all brass. and con-
structed especially for that institution
during Presidents Folks administration,
and was delivered in lsiS. Previous TO
that time the cadets used a small battery
Of light iron four Founders. which could
be easily handled by young men in learn
ing the artillery drill. When Captain
John G. Shields undertook the command
of company OF artillery at Lynchburg.
l.. l.,s h
correspondence with General Smith, OF
the institute, and with General Richard |
son. Acknowledgement of the State, and |
through their interposition with the Gov |
ernor, secured the four small pieces, late |
ly used by the cadets They were drawn |
overland from Lexington TO Lynchburg, !
and delivered in the autumn of 1SiS. The |
State equipped the new company at an |
expense of nearly eight hundred dollars |
In the m eantime Captain Shields had re- |
ceived from General f. II. Smith. of the |
institute, the latest Instructions In field |
artillery and gunnery. II was a singular |
coincidence that he should so many years |
after be found In command of q battery |
composed of the same brass guns. which |
had superseded the small iron ones Just |
referred TO.
AS soon as the Howltzers reached home
they secured an armory on the north side |
of Cary street between Tenth and |
Eleventh. streets. Here they regularly as
sembled for drill. Up to this time, al /
though called artillery. they bad been /
carrying muskets, and were drilled as in
fantry. Having now been furnished by |
Captain Charles Dimmock, commandant
Of the Virginia State Guard, with a
mounted field piece from the State
they were, for the first time, in
strucfed I'm THE manual Of the piece"
according to the United States tactics.
Captain Randolph meantime had himself
prepared a tactical drill for the use OF
the naval howitzers; but the battery he
had ordered in Washington having not
yet been finished, he thought hest not
to delay the instructiC of the men.
WIN. p. p.
(To be concluded)