Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1896-07-08
THE OLD FIRST HOWITzERs.
"Reminiscences OF the Reunion oil
Members of This Command.

| "Reminiscences of the Reunion OF
Members of This Command.
Thirty years is a long period In the Ire
OF even long-lived men. After such an IN
terval men may hope to find surviving but
very few OF the friends Of boyhood anu
early manhood. The usual talk OF friends
meeting after such an interval is OF the
fortunes and misfortunes OF our ordinary
! life, with ~ commonplace successes and
failures. But within the last week. in
this city and home Of our love, there
| have been many meetings Of the Survivors
OF an extraordinary and heroic age. ana
/ the bulk Of the talk at such meetings has
not been OF the ups and down Of existence
since the war. but IL was a renewal OF
! the thoughts and conversations on topics
that were the subjects OF our daily ana
transcendent interest more than thirty
years agO-ln the days that were heroic
and that strung the souls Of even com
monpace men to a measure Of heroism.
! II has seemed as il the long years since
our parting at AppomattOX were but an
| episode-a thread On which vas strung the
memory OF that more heroic youth that
In so many instances has endowed the
survivors of that era as with talisman
against the rayages Of time and age.
THE OLD FIRST HOWITZERS.
The very many such meetings and re-
viyals Of old friendships are the most
cherished and valued incidents of the
great reunion of the last few days. As
typical of many such experiences, some
memorial may be appropriate OF the
parting at AppOmattOX and the late re-
union here Of members Of the old First
Company of Richmond Howitzers. Re
in igf nd I4
ranks from 1861 TO 1865, members from all
sections Of the State. the company was
fairly representative of the city and the
Commonwealth, and its record during the
war was not unworthy OF its association
and identity with that army whose glory
is our common heritage. This representa-
ton Of Richmond In the days OF war, the
survivors Of to-day are scattered over the
whole country. Among the pilgrims 10
this last reunion were men from homes
as far remote as Canada, on the one
hand. and Texas. on the other; and there
were greetings between friends who mad
not looked into each others eyes since
that fatal day al AppomattoX more than
thirty years ago. The true history or
those last days Of the war has not yet
been written. and none but the partlci-
pants can know the trials. priyaiions,
and dangers Of that retreat from Peters
burg TO AppOmattOX. While OF the inn
mortal 5000 who laid down their arms az
Appomattox. the First Howitzers were
not actually present at the surrender OF
the army. Their experience. with that Of
some other artillery commands, was al
most unique in the history of war with
a column OF artillery. without infantry
support. and separated from the main
body Of the army. they had a fight with
and successfully repuised three divisions
.NF.a fanr
the surrender After an all-night march,
finding # impossible 10 rejoin the army
and as the only means 10 escape capture
the battery was destroyed, the guns
buried. and the company was dlsbanded
leaving 10 every man individually the de-
cision OF the momentOus question whether
he would further continue the war against
the United States. II anybody wants TO
know Of the character Of the men who
settled this question for themselves, II
may be sufficient 10 say that at the last
muster that morning of over lo0 men on
the roll Of the company. all but two or
three answered TO their names. and those
ab~-nt ones were believed TO be satisfac-
tOrily accounted for And how did thes
settle the question of further warfare;
Some few. arguing that they were I'm Tor
the war. and that il was not for them to
decide when # was over. made their way
down 70 Johnston's army, In North Caro-
lima The great majority. on learning the
definite surrender OF Lees army that day.
concluded that Lees surrender settled the
question. and made their way home.
MEMORIES THAT ARE DEAR.
It was some OF these men, with thou
sands Of others who have participated IN
this reunion. whose demonstrations OF
loyal memory. coupled with the recollec- |
ton Of the kindred Lee monument memo |
rial Of 1850. are almost d compensation |
for the woes Of 1865. The meetings and |
greetings have been the revival Of the |
friendships Of heroic days Mature men, |
Of years past the meridian Of life have |
again delighted themselves with the tax |
and enthusiasm Of generous youth. Some /
times the recognition of old friends thus /
meeting has been accomplished only after !
peerng under manly boards that hide the |
youthful features, or diving under the |
burrows and wrinkles that have made /
rugged the smooth cheeks and brows OF |
long ago But. all az once. under the |
steady glance. the Old smile. some play |
OF feature or some trick of the eye, has |
brought instant and loving recognition; |
old associations fash through the mind,
and friends know each other again-per-
haps. with the old nlcknames-as they
knew each other when they served the
same gun, or marched together IN the last
years Of the war, when comradeship /
meant more than is now generally re-
allied I'm life. Often, again. the recogni-
tiOn has been instant and mutual in the
cases Of men who never get old, OF whom
there seem t. have been so many with
US In the days Of this reunion. A beauti-
full compliment paid 70 one such old How
itzer, probably the Oldest surviving mem
Der of his immediate set. but endowed |
with the spirit OF immortal youth. was
that he looked younger than ever in his
life before These meetings have oc-
CURED on the street, I'm offices. and
stores. notably In the headquarter store
for old Howitzers, and around boards
whose generous hospitality brought to-
gether many old comrades in the delishts
of social intercourse.
old adventures and anecdotes have beer
retold the old songs have been sung, and
many memories revived, the awakening OF
which are a pleasure and happiness,
making us stronger and better men.
For many of us Il is and must be the
last reunion. but its memory and infu-
once will long survive the occasion that
has brought US once again together The
limits Of this notice preclude the mention
of many interesting and characteristic in
cidents that would Illustrate the COM
mand and the occasion. Not the least
pleasing Of these Incidents was the visit.
I'm a body. TO General McLaws. % whose
division the company was for some time
attached. c. L.
Various Nayies.
C;lneteenth Century,