Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-03-08
TO SERVE VIRGINIA.
Many Of Her Sons Are Eager 10 Tender
Their Swords.
LETTERS FROM THOSE FAR AWAY.
Those Who Bore Arms Once Ready to
Do So Again.
OFFERS FROM ARMY OFFICERS.
They want 10 Fight for Their Old
state III War IL DecInred-The Gov
crnor Discusses the situation-Our
trranps
OFFERS FROM ARMY OFFICERS
Troops.

States army. They were appointed to tn
national military from Virginia, ant
though they have positions in the regular
army, they are willing and anxious t
use their swords in the service of th'
state, should opportunity offer. II is th'
old State love that moved Lee and Other
Virginians to surrender their commission;
in 1861, manifesting itself in the younger
generation.
Another Of the applicants for commits
sion in event of war is a former cadet
captain at Blacksburg, who now holds o
government position at Toledo, o.
OLD CONTEMPORARIES ANXIOUS.
The old Confederates are the most nu-
merous of those who are anxious to en-
ter the service. Some Of the letters are
amusing, the writers speaking lightly of
| sixty-odd years, and declaring they are
as able to withstand the hardships OF
warfare as in the days of Manassas and
Gettysburg and Antietam.
! An officer who has been retired by age
from the Virginia volunteers, who served
J four years in the war, and was for
! thirty-five years connected with the Vir-
| ginia forces, tenders his services, saying
that though he is GO years of age he Is
| able to stand as much hard service as he
| ever could and IS anxious to raise a regi-
! ment in case war Is declared.
An old Confederate Of Greenesville coun-
ty who says he served four years in the
war; was a member of Pickett's Division,
participated in the charge at Gettysburg.
and after the war served three years as
an Indian scout. wants a commission as
-
DR.. J. w. Eggleston, the well-known
dentist of this city, who served in the
Confederate army, has offered his SER
vices to the Governor, and desires TO
raise and command a battery or bat
talon. He was made a sergeant of artil-
lery in the Confederate army only few
days after reaching his seventeenth birth
day, and rose to the rank of lieutenant.
DR.. Eggleston has a fine war record, and
his experience in handling the big guns.
as well as the qualities of the soldier
which he possesses, make 1t evident that
he would create "a hot time in the old
town. did opportunity offer.
REMEMBER THE OLD STATE.
Many Virginians who are in other
States have written Offering their SER
vices. Among these is Colonel James X.
Branch, formerly Of this city, but now
the secretary of the American Bankers
Association, in New York. Colonel
Branch is a retired officer Of the Virginia
volunteers, and is anxious to serve the
old state should she need him.
Mr. j. h. Hatcher, of Baltimore, a Nir-
ginian, and a former officer of the volun-
teers, offers to come back and go over
into tho Valley and organize company.
FROM A G.. A. II. VETERAN.
The Governor has received hearty
letter from Colonel /. c. Wade, of Nor
folk, who entered the Union army as a
drummer boy in 1851 and served in every
grade to and including that of colonel.
He says he has been connected with the
military in some capacity for twenty-five
years and while it may TO some appear
strange that he desires a commission as
an officer OF Virginia troops, he knows
no section where the honor of country is
involved. Colonel Wade says he is so
years old, and has family, but God and
country before family"
a great many quotations from letters
similar to the foregoing could be given.
but they all exhibit the same patriotism,
and particularly State love and State
pride
The services of Virginians may not be
needed in the field, but il has already
been made evident that should war come
the sons of the Old Dominion, as in every
other war since Colonial days. would |
stand in the front ranks as regards both |
numbers and gallantry.
THE GOVERNORS VIEWS.
Governor Tyler, in discussing the gene |
raj outlook and the sentiment in Vir-
ginia, was very confident that enlist |
ments would be very large should troops |
be needed.
II do not believe the United States will |
90 to war with Spain" he said. II have
never thought so, though at times the
seemed so great l could |
scarcely see how war could be averted. |
remember when / picked up my Dis
patch on the morning after the Maine
explosion, and read how our splendid
and her brave crew had been
sent to the bottom, my first thought was
hat war was sure to come and l wanted
to see it as quickly as possible.
"But / afterwards realized that it
would be unjust to hold Spain response
BILE until her responsibility had been
clearly shown. That has not yet been
lone, but il may be, and just as soon as
he board of inquiry shall have reported
hat the Maine was blown up with the
,onnivsnce or knowledge of the Spanish
Government, the American Government
should no longer hesitate, and, may add,
do not believe it will.
WOULD RESPOND PROMPTLY.
Virginia will respond more promptly
han any State In the Union" continued
he Governor. II do not mean to dis
)arage the patriotism of any OF our
sister States, but l firmly believe Vir-
,inia people are more patriotic than
hose of any other State. Say anything
bout the United States flag that is in
he least derogatory. and watch how
luick Virglnian will fire up. 1 am an
I'D Confederate. and i did the best L
,ould to overthrow the National Govern
nent, and failed. The Stars and Stripes
ire as much mine, and as much the flag
II any other man who followed Lee, as
t is of the man who followed Grant, and
1ou will see that its first defenders will
DC the men OF the South.
II pray that war may not come, but
we must not have dishonor as the price
Of peace"