Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-07-01
Joe Willard's Volunteers.
A Good story about a Patriotic Son Of
Westminster Family.

Nestntnster FAMILY
This interesting war story is from a
special despatch from Fairfax Court
House, Va: "'The richest man in Vir-
gnia" is also one of the most patriotic of
the sons of the Old Dominion When the
first call for troops was made there was no
man more eager to respond than Joseph
Willard, member of the Virginia legisla-
ture, lawyer in active practice at this
place, and the son of the founder of Will
lard's Hotel, for half century the leading
hostelry of the national capital. He Of
fered himself for enlistment as a private,
but so many of the young men of the
neighborhood asked him TO be their leader
that he was induced to raise company.
'As soon as it was known throughout
the county that Joseph Willard wanted re-
cruits there was a rush of young men to
his headquarters. His only conditions of
enlistment were that the men should be
unmarried, able-bodied and citizens of
Fairfax county. When he had the requir-
ed number he selected uniform suitable
for campaign in tropical climate and
sent every man to a tailor to be fitted.
The young men are tall, as most Virgin
ians are, and show the sound health of
men who live in the open air. They are
nearly all farmer boys and the sons of vet
erans OF the Confederate army, reared in
the traditions of a courageous struggle.
Next they were informed by the Captain
that he would pay out of his own pocket
an additional Sl3 so that their pay will be
S26 month. This is because many of
the families to which the boys belong have
been partly dependent on them and must
find it hard to carry on the farms in their
absence.
when they were told of the promise TO
send them to the Philippines Capt. Willard
made short speech that added enormously
to the satisfaction of the parents of the
boys. He said his income. aside from the
amount that is necessary to keep up his
household and the like, is $1,000 a day,
and that as far as this sum would go the
boys should lack nothing that money could
buy in event of wounds or sickness or to
preserve their health in a strange climate.
Capt. Willard himself leaves a wife and
two young children. His wife is not less
patriotic than her husband and has taken
the utmost interest and pride in the COM
pany Capt. Willard told her how eager
he was to go to the seat of war, as his
blood has been boiling over the Spanish
cruelty in Cuba; but he had resolved to
abide by her decision, as there would be
not hesitate, but told him to go.
Nobody is surprised at the bounding
enthusiasm of Capt. Willard if they happen
to know the stock he springs from. His
father, for so many years the head of Will
lard's hotel, was an officer in the Union
army and as such was brought into con-
tact with the most daring and efficient of
all the Confederate spies in the civil war.
This was Miss Ford, the daughter of rich
citizen of Fairfax Court House. She made
many journeys between Washington and
Richmond when it was difficult to get
through the Federal lines. Sometimes she
was disguised and needed all the talent of
an actress to elude the suspicious officers.
proud as she was of being rebel, Miss
Ford formed romantic attachment for a
Federal officer, who had been kind to her,
and when her work was done she became
his bride. After living happily with her
husband and children for some years at
Fairfax Court House, she died here. Her
husband also is dead, the property going to
Joseph Willard, the son.
capt. Willard was born here, and after
a careful education he took up the study of
the law. He was admitted to the bar while
quite young, and went to work as though
his daily bread depended on it. He is
bright, well-informed, and good speaker.
He was elected to represent this district in
the lower house of the legislature, and it
is only question of time when he will oc-
cupy seat in Congress. He inherited
from his father the Wizards hotel property
and the Ebbett House, and from his mother
considerable property in this state. AL
though he is commonly referred to as the
richest man in Virginia. he is unassum-
ing"
A local interest attaches to Joe Wizards
patriotic action from the fact that his faith
er was native of Westminster, and he
has an uncle, c. S. Willard, now living in
that historic town.