Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1898-02-05

was nOtnlnP 10 90 nut SUCK IL out, the
army growing smaller and smaller
every day, the hardships greater aud
| 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
a 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 the heart of the subject and tells
how it was that his comrades bore ,
under every Encouragement, fighting
like tigers when told to and shifting for
themselves when not wanted in battle.
The Richmond Howitzers was "a crack
local company organized i'll 1859 by
George w. Randolph, who served the
Contederacy as secretary of war The
company was out in the John Brown
raid. From that time on until the out
break of the war the members were thor
oughly drilled in artillery tactics. Dur.
ing sumter days the company rendez-
voused in a hall under the old SPOTS
wood hotel. 1t drilled night and day,
and, learning that 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 cagerness
ON the part of the Richmond blue bloods
to join the ranks of the Howitzers. i
fine, strong company was mustered IL
for the war. A glance ut 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 thata battalion of three com.
panies was formed 10 is the story Oi
the first company which | shall epitO-
miZc from tho narrative of one ui its
survivors
After enjoying a picnic in the city OF
Richmond, and on the route north after.
wGrd-grCeted on all thor travels by
many young ladies with rcLresumcuTa
III trays AID baskets lavishly suppilgd'
the HOwitG2rs landed GA the hot
plains OF MUE,ss.IS in June, 1861. Tho,
formed the nucleus Of the artillery cui -.
Of the array OF Northern Virginia
Drills Were heavy, but 1T that date ID
mlas"s were well supplied Mess iUlI,s
were loaded with the dCliCaCic3 OF al,
season, over and above the Gbundauve "a
-four, bacon. ht,f, mOiusSes. sugar uuu
coffee regularly issued. The intervals of
drill were given to amusement, which,
Che story teller say, consisted in rcauing
newspapers towels and letters sent from
home regularly and playing cards. The
games at Manassas We're euChre and
seven up. Poker, the final tavorite,
came in at "a later date. How wildly
these gilded youth had miscalculuted
was shown by the fact that many OF the
boys took along to the front saratoga
trunks filled with civilized Apparel
white trousers, collars, cuffs and Ill.
finery. and in of moments took occasili.
to sport them. Among the visitors t.,
the ManasaGs was General K. Il. Lee,
whom the HOwitZers' historian says
was ut that time not only unknown t.
fame, but under cloud because Of the
check he had suffered III West Virginia
at the hanGs of ACCIeIian Lee ) Wish
created no sensation, and he did no,
come anyway near eclipsing BeaUre.
gard, the idol Of The army ut M;.naSsas
The HowitZers were not heavily en-.
gagged i'll batCle ut bull Run, but they
were under ire and learned the differ.
ence between real soldering and play
soldering. The company was exposed
TO searching fire iroIn the Federal
batteries across Bail Run.
1.-The crashing and exploding Of pro
iectiles approaching this time III quest
Of life, not recedirg beautifully as IL
target practice, was rather Il startling
acquaintaIceship; the first one seemed
to have begun the destruction OF the
world and the ones Immediately sue,
ceeding to be clinching the job Late
in the day the rebel yell swept over the
field, followed by the eXulting cry,
"They're reueating, they're routed !
| The HowitZers started enthusiastically
IN pursuit thinking that they We're go
ing to Washington, but they We're soon
called back by orders from the generals.
1t was in the first winter camps that
the Howitzers discovered the beauties OF
poker as an army pastime. The game
went on day and night without inter,
mission, Eating and camp calls were
shifted as much as possible to keep a
winning or losing hand and let the
game go on. Grains of corn represented
the stake, and, for the most part, were
the only stake played for, for few were
ever redeemed" by the "bank" or any
one else The army paymaster visited
the camp once during the winter. the
first and last time the Howitzers svel
saw him. In this first winter camp the
Howitzers passed their heyday of sol