The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-03-17
THE THREE STONE BALLS
FOR YEARS THEY HAVE STOOD LIKE
sEyTIyELS BEFORE THE ARMORY.
They came from Constsn'inopis asd ere
More Than -Four Hundred Years Old
Their II story in Eichmond.

The Dispatch Of Sunday. March 3D., con-
Iains a short reply oil l. .. w. 10
CORRESPONDENT desiring to know the his
tory of ..the three stone balls at the
Armory." etc. 1t may interest the public
To know something more OF these for
eipners I'm addition TO what 4. 3. W.
has given.
The rnan-of-war referred to in his ac-
count was the old frigate Constitution
then commanded by captain Jesse ID.
Elliott, afterwards commodore. his ship
was in HAMPTON Roads when Nat. Tur-
ner's insurrection broke out in Southamp-
ton county, Virginia. on that occasion
he, with a body OF United states marines,
co-operated with troops from Fortress
Monroe sent to assist In quelling the
negro rebellion.
1t was also on this occasion that a
youth named Blount and another young
man distinguished themselves by defend
ing white family from massacre. FL
lott, struck by the gallantry Of the two
boys, took Blount on board his~ship, and
afterwards prevailed upon President An
drew Jackson to give him commission
in the navy. This young man became
a prominent and meritorious officer in
That arm of the service. he other
youth Is said TO have been the late Gen.
eral George II. Thomas, OF the Federal
army, who, according to tradition, was
also honored by the President with a
warrant for West Point.
CANNON BALLS.
The I. Blakey Carter. also referred to,
was at that time a midshipman I'm the
navy, a grandson of Major Gibbon, of
Revolutionary fame, and a resident of
RiclmCrd. On this account he was de-
puted TO bring to the capital two OF
these huge stone cannon balls. Those
presented TO the United States Govern
ment, were taken to the United States
Marine Hospital, near Philadelphia, and
may be there now. The two intended for
the University of Virginia were landed
IT Rockets about the year 1888. The
authorities Cf TIE University, although
notified Of Commander ElliOtts wishes,
declined TO carry them to Charlottesville
on account of the expense and difficulty
CT Transporting sLc1 heavy masses of
stone. Their new college had been in
operation but a few years and needed
all the money the State could spare So
it was, the big Turkish cannon balls lay
for years in the mud al Rockets. neglect
ed and unhoDored. The wealthy and in
fluental mercantile house of Moncure,
Dunlop & Co., subsequently erected eX-
tensive wharfes IN that neighborhood,
Were Trey accommodated large traffic
In sugars and molasses from Cuba and
Louisiana. Some lime afterwards, in 1893,
Mr.. Henry Moncure, Of that firm, erect
ei for his own use what was then re-
garded an elegant private residence. II
was a large square, brick building, with
four rooms on a moor. occupying spacious
grounds, with kitchen. stables and the
other out-houses common TO first-class
faf Itch Of
his new dwelling was ready for use.
Mr.. Moncure had the Turkish strangers
hauled I'D from their muddy retreat and
gave them more honorable recognition.
Stone pedestals were at once prepared,
placed on the corners fronting Marshall
street, and the two balls mounted upon
them. He afterwards had another made,
a third ball of coarse Richmond granite,
as near like the others as could be, ana
mounted it at the southeast corner OF
his lot.
The latter may be readily distinsuiA3ed
from the two that came from CONSTANT
nonle by the texture of the stone and It's
imperfect contour.
Here these balls remained for nearly
forty years. the admiration of the town
and wonder TO strangers.
STINT WITNESSES.
Amber who had long resided In pic
turesque family mansion, then standing
upon the present site of the University
School of Medicine, Mr.. Moncure aban-
doned his newly built residence, and took
possession OF the former He had mar
ried a daughter Of the deceased owner.
The house built by Mr.. Moncure after
this move passed through many hands.
Mr.. William b. Archer, the DuVals, ana
others occupied ii until II was pur-
chased by the late DR.. John 5. Welllrd'
of Fredericksburg, who, having removed
10 Richmond. lived in 1t many years.
IL was afterwards bought by Mr.. James
II. Dooley, pulled down, and the ma
tcrlal devoted to the erection OF more
modest but more profitable structures.
During all these events our venerable
relics remained the silent witnesses OF
changes 10 which they were not accus-
toned at their ancient home on the Bos-
phorous They had known many owners.
The pedestals and balls having peeh
placed by Mr.. Moncure on the Sidewalks
thereby became the property OF the city
although they may have been claimed by
the last owner of the house and It's APP
purtenances. After the demolition OF the
house they had so long adorned, they
should have been sent TO the University,
i'm accordance with the wishes OF Com
Elliott. But inasmuch as the city had
inst erected a public armory In the I'M
mediate neighborhood, no more appropri-
ate position could have been selected
for their permanent resting place. Ac-
cordinclv Major Dooley was pleased 10
make no opposition TO their becoming
the property of the First Regiment OF
Virginia Volunteers, under the special
protection of the city.
VERY OLD.
These veterans Of former age must DE
very old. At the invention OF artlilery
the first proiectiles used were made OF
stone. and that was some time peIore
the wear 400 Iron canrcn balls were
NOT introduced until ordnance pieces were
much improved. The guns then In use
we're Of such primitive construction that
thew could not stand the strain Oh
charges necessary to propei efficiently
substance as heavy as iron. Inc hrst
artillery pieces were called pomparus'
were constructed OF nat WOODEN SLAVES
held together tubuliform by iron STRIPS,
and were lined within with stout sheets OF
hammered iron. In using these. stone was
found to be abundantly effective. and
being cheap material was long Continued
a. the hest kind OF missile. Guns were. at
first made quite small. Experiments were
tried i'm the use OF an explosive compound
but recently put into their hands. Later. IN
the fifteenth century, the value OF heavier
projectiles beca me obvious. They were 10
bo used chiefly in battering down the
walls. by which, for centuries, cities had
been so strongly fortified that they had
detied the devices OF the most determined
enemy. AS early as the year li4I, during
the troubles of the Italian states. the de-
"A ltr1.