The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1897-10-21

* C& y unteered III inc
<zIaA~ ~ first flush of en-
49, 4Ass ee4DyA< thusiasm and for
Cg?SS|1IN men Of honor and
self respect there
was nothing to do but stick it out, the
army growing smaller and smaller
every day, the hardships greater and
the chances for success less.
In spite of the enormous mass of war
literature there is nothing so far that
turns life in the Confederate army in
side out. Attempts have been made In
q sketch OF the Richmond Howitzers a
member of the company runs lightly
over four years campaigning with the
Army Of Northern Virginia. He strikes
into tho heart Of the subject and tells
how it was that his comrades bore up
under every discouragement, fighting
like tigers when told to and shifting for
themselves when not wanted in battle.
The Richmond HoWitzers was a crack
local company organized in 1859 by
George W. Randolph, who served the
Confederacy as secretary of war. The
company was out in the John Brown
raid From that time on until the out
break Of tho war the members were thor
oughly drilled in artillery tactics Dur
ing Sumter days tho company rendez-
voused in hall under the old SPOTS.
wood hotel. 1t drilled night and day,
and, learning that a government war
vessel was ascending the James, the
company was ordered down the river
with its guns.
Nothing came Of that expedition, but
the incident gave the company local
celebrity, and there Was great eagerness
on the part of the Richmond blue bloods
to join the ranks Of the Howitzers. A
fine, strong company was mustered in
for the war. A glance at the roll shows
that the sons of the first families of
Virginia were not too proud to enroll
themselves as common soldiers.
So great was the rush to join the
Howitzers that a battalion of three COM
panies was formed It is the story Of
the first company which shall epito-
mize from the narrative of one of it's
survivors.
After enjoying picnic in the city of
Richmond, and on the route north after
ward-greeted on all their travels by
"many young ladies with refreshments
in trays and baskets lavishly supplied"
the HOwitzers landed on the hot
plains of Manassas in June, 1861. They
formed the nucleus of the artillery corps
of the Army Of Northern Virginia.
Drills were heavy, but at that date the
messes were we'll supplied Mess tables
were loaded with the delicacies Of the
season, over and above the abundance Of
flour, bacon, beef, molasses, sugar and
coffee regularly issued. The intervals of
drill were given to amusement, which,
the story teller says, consisted in reading
newspapers, novels and letters sent from
home regularly and playing cards. The
games at Manassas were euchre and
seven up. Poker, the final favorite,
came in at a later date How wildly
these gilded youth had miscalculated
was shown by the fact that many of the
trunks filed with civilized apparel,
white trousers, collars, cuffs and like
fnery, and in off moments took occasion
to sport them. Among the visitors tc
the Manassas was General r. E. Lee,
whom the Howitzers' historian says
was at that time not only unknown tC
fame, but under a cloud because of the
check he had suffered in West Virginia
at the hands Of Mcclellan. Lees visit
created no sensation, and he did no
come anyway near eclipsing Beaure
gard, the idol Of the army at Manassas
The Howitzers were not heavily Ell
gagged in battle at Bull Run, but the,
were under fire and learned the differ
ence between real soldering and pla,
soldering. The company was exposed
to a searching fire from the Fedora
batteries across Bull Run.
''The crashing and exploding Of pro
Of life, not receding beautifully as i,
target practice, was rather a startlin
acquaintanceship the first one SCENE
to have begun the destruction Of tn
world and the ones Immediately sue
ceeding to be clinching the job. - Lat
in the day the rebel yell swept over til
field, followed by the exulting cry
"They're retreating, they're routed |!
The Howitzers started enthusiasticall
Ill PeAAoAAo, cA1AIA1AIAASo oAdU OA1OJ WCAO 81
ing to Washington, but they were 500
called back by. orders from the general
It was in the first winter camps thu
the Howitzers discovered the beauties
poker as an army pastime. The gam
went on day and night without int
mission. Eating and camp calls wei
shifted as much as possible to keep
winning or losing hand and let tt
game go on. Grains Of corn representa-
. the stake, and, for the most part, we
the only stake played for, for few we
ever redeemed" by the bank or an
one else. The army paymaster visite
the camp once during the winter, Il
first and last time the Howitzers ev
saw him. In this first winter camp Il
Howitzers passed their heyday Of SC
diering. Log huts for dwellings, wi
mammoth outside freplaces kept roa
ing with hickory, oak and pine log
kitchens and mess tables presided ov