Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-01-09
.....M...JANUARY 8, 1898.
THE PUBLIC GUARD.

+ When a suggestion was made recently
5 that the Public Guard should be re-estab-
lished and composed OF Confederate vete-
rams. thousands of the people Of Virginia
had but a vague idea Of what was meant.
The younger generation knows little or
nothing OF the Public Guard, except from
hsarsay. but to older people it is a name
that conjures up many fond recollections'
and which recalls the names of Quarter,
Richardson, Boiling, Dimmock, and Cay.
II was n military organization formed
for civil duty. That is to say-it was
'sVirginia's standing army for peaceful
purposes. The company was organized in
1901. Its first barracks were on the south
ern slope Of the Capitol Square, near
where the Bell House now IS. The Square
had not then been graded as we now see
Il. but ran down TO Bank street and end
ed there abruptly. Near this little bluff
the soldiers had their quarters. and their
linen. and their red flannel. too, were Of
ten to be seen dangling from clothes
lines in the Square Later the state
Armory was enlarged. so as to afford
quarters for the Guard
The Armory was on the south side of
the canal at the foot Of Fifth street.
The entrance to IT was through an arch
way. where a uniformed and fuily-armed
sentinel was always TO be found walking
his beat. Right and left from this arch
way were wings two stories in height.
In these and other buildings the officers
and men had their quarters and the ar
morers their shops and machinery. In the
yard in the rear was a handsome little
parade ground. ornamented with pyra-
midal heaps Of shot and shell, and there
too, were numbers Of cannon pointed to-
ward the river. Among these were several
fine, large, brass siege-guns, brought 10
Virginia by the French about the time
of the siege Of Yorktown.
The Public Guard consisted of one cap
tain. two lieutenants, six sergeants, six
corporals, two musicians and seventy
other men. But besides the two men en-
listed as musicians, a number OF others
were actually employed as such. All these
formed the famous "Armory Band" Of
which Captain Smith was the leader. 1t
was the first permanently-o and
regularly band Of music that
Richmond had. and it enjoyed and merit
ed great fame.
The parades at the Armory and on the
Capitol Square were great popular at
fractions. Ours was a very quiet and
= staid town then. and the movements of
these soldiers. and the playing Of tnis
band. were sources Of never-ending de-
h.
largely because OF the location of the
Armory at the foot of Fifth street, that
street became fashionable thorough
fare and along it were erected many
splendid residences. Some Of these sur
vive to this day, but others have been
RACED and their places filed with tene-
ments or flats.
The duty Of the Public Guard was 10
guard the Capitol, the Penitentiary, and
the Armory The headquarters Of the
Capitol-square detail (relieved every
morning) were in the Bell-House. And
among other duties they had to ring the
passing hours upon the bell in the tower
They also rang the bell for the daily as
sembling of the two houses Of the Legis-
lature Later on. when Richmond was
a besieged city for years. they rang the
bell for the assembling Of the boys and
the gray-haired men to come out and do
military service in resisting the raiding
cavalry Of the enemy.
Captains Quarter. Boiling, Richardson,
Dimmoclx, and Cay were all famous in
their day. Soon after the secession of Vir-
cinia Captain Dimmock-a grand old
man-was raised 70 the rank Of briga-
dier-general. Lieutenant Gay succeeded
him and continued In command until the
surrender. On the morning OF the evacu-
alton Of Richmond By the Confederate
troops. the Public Guard was ordered 10
Withdraw with our army--or, rather, with
our State Government. The fire OF that
day. which had spread from the tobacco
warehouse. reached the Armory and de-
str0yed II. The conyicts at the penlten-
tlary being held only by Mr.. Jacob and a
few other civilian keepers. broke from
their cells, liberated themselves and fred
the building. ,rhe Capitol. too. was fired
by flying sparks. but Mr.. Henry Exal
put the budding flames o1t, and this, too
though much Of his own property on
Main street was at that very moment
IN flames
The Pcirpoint government, upon coming
10 Richmond. reorganized the Public
Guard. and put II 70 doing its former
duty. Then. again. soldier In fun anil