The National tribune., 1896-07-02

| The above Is picture of Captain Donald
! c. Stebbins, the first soldier Of the American
Guard in the State of Virginia. He is the
| son Of Past Senior Vice Department Com
mander John w. Stebbins, of Norfolk, Va,
and is a bright, active and patriotic boy OF
Is. He has studied up the tactics, and has
organized q full company, which he COM
msnds, and is the first company of the
| American Guard organized in the Old Do
minion.
| This is good start, and it is only a ques-
ton of time before similar companies are
started all over the State. The Guard is
now organized in every Northern State, and
| rapidly gaining ground West 1t has lately
/ gained foothOid in Florida, where a num-
Der OF companies have been organized in the
| larger schools. This was q part of the work
accomplished by Senior Aid-de-Camp Henry
| III. Adams, in charge of military instruction
! IN the public schools, during a recent visit
to the FlOwery State, and the result has far
exceeded his expectations. In every section
where the Guard has been introduced it has
proved a success. The boys take TO it like
duck to water, and become proficient ia drill
in an incredibly short time This is easily
accounted for; the boys are of an age when
I business cares and the responsibility of life
sit lightly upon them, they have no love
affairs in hand to distract their minds and
hearts, and they go into all the details of
the drill with a zest thas carries ali before
it. !,
In New York City there are Is full regi.
ments organized, and their drill and discis
pline will compare fayorably with any like
number of regiments of the National Guard,
and some will compare favorably with
regiment of Regulars. Washington was fa-
yored recently by visit of two of these
companies, and the exhibition drill given in
front Of the Arlington Hotel will be remem~
bered.
Capt Stebbins has a record in the history
of the country which is interesting He is
liueal descendant Of Rowland Stebbins, OK
Ipswich England, who landed with his fam
ily in Massachusetts in 1884; of John Steb-
bins. son of Rowland, who was the only man
known to come out whole from the massacre
of Bloody Brook, and was captured with his
family, by the Indians at the massacre Of
Deerfield, Mass, taken to Canada. where he
was kept in captivity for over IA years; Jo-
seph Stebbins, a grandson of John, above
named, was a warrant officer at the battle
of Lexington, and Captain at the battle Of
Bunker Hill, and afterwards a Colonel Of
Massachusetts, volunteers.
Besides officers and enlisted men in other
wars, there were three uncleS IN the Union
army during the late rebellion. His father,
j. w. Stebbins, enlisted in the 9th NJ X.
Cav. in 1864, at 10 years of age, and conse-
quently is one of the youngest ex-Union
soldiers living, and has held among other
offices in the Grand Army of the Republic
that of Commander, several terms as Aid on
National staff, and Senior Vice Department.
Commander of the Department of Virginia
and North Carolina.
On his mothers side young Capt Donald
numbers among his ancestors such fighting
stock as Col. Eliphlet Mott, who was identi-
fed as one of the famous Boston Tea Party,
and afterward captured three Hessians
single handed, and after an esentfu1 careex
as a soldier during the Revolution was q
Colonel with Washington at the surrender
of CORVALLIS at Yorktown. His son, Don
AIDS great grandfather, Ezra Mott, was
Lieutenant, Captain, Major and Lieutenant
Colonel prior to and Colonel in 1912, Briga-
dier-General in 1913, and Major General Of
the Third Division of New York in 1924 and
long afterward.
Young Donald was born in Virginia, and
coming from such stock should add renown
to Virginia's already long list. The Amerf-
can Guard may yet be one Of the means
of additional glory to the arms of the old
Dominion, and if so, Capt. Donald may find
an important place in future history.