Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1899-02-08
Gallant Company cd" of the
Ninth Virginia Regiment.
ALL PORTSMOUTH SOLDIERS
Were in Every Battle fin witch the
Regiment Engaged Except seven
Plncs Daring Chnrge of Hficltctt'.
Division mt Gettysburg Participa>
ted TN by Those Brnve Men, Few of
Whom Lived TO Tell the story.

men. as true and as gallant as ever
drew sword or shouldered q musket. is
best chroniced in the history Of the
Virginia Artillery, Company ID. Ninth
Virginia Infantry. written by our
townsman, Hon. John w. II. Porter.
and found in his history of Norfolk
county. or this magnificent military
command which was organized in
Portsmouth, the author has the follow
ing TO say:
This company was organized about
the 18th of April, 1861, for the purpose
of offering its services to South Caro-
lima. and elected the following officers
Captain. William j. Richardson:
First Lieutenant, Charles II. McAlpine:
second Lieutenant, Samuel w. Weaver
Third Lieutenant, George Linn; First
Sergeant, John ID. Skellin.
virginia had not then passed the or
dinance of secession, nor was the com
pany uniformed or commissioned. II
was unarmed also, and had not applied
to Virginia for arms when the State Sc
coded. When Governor Letcher issued
his call for troops on the 10th of April
1861. the Virginia Artillery gave up the
idea of going to South Carolina and
responded to Governor Letcher's call
The company was organized as an ar
tillery company, but was not furnished
with battery, and became an infant
ry company and was attached 10 the
Third Virginia Regiment at Naval Hos
-Pital- Point.-When-t navy yard fell
into the hands of the Virginia troops
this company got brass howitzer from
off the old frigate United States, took
it to the Independent Fire Company
house, put 1t In order and carried it
to the Naval Hospital, but under or
ders from General Huger it was subse-
quently turned over to Grimes Battery
by Colonel Pryor. ii was not given up
n
Hospital Point With about 125 men, but
most of them were skilled mechanics
and as their services We're needed to
work on vessels in the navy yard, quite
Il number were detached by orders from
headquarters. SO many were thus de-
tached that when the company was
ordered to Craney Island about a month
later, there were only eighty in the
ranks. Until then the company was
armed with long boarding pixies, OBJ
tanned In the navy yard. Shortly after
the transfer to the island the ladies of
Portsmouth organized a sewing circle
and made uniforms for them and the
boarding pixies We're exchanged for
flint lock muskets. Some months later
when Lieutenant Colonel De Laguel
was in command of the post at Craney
Island these guns were sent to Norfolk
and changed into percussion guns.
CALLED RICHARDSON'S WILD
CATS.
While the company VAS at the Naval
Hospital battery the men by a slight
accidental circumstance, obtained the
name of wild cats" which stuck to
them to the close OF the war. Being
near home, with no enemy nearer than
Old Point. the men were very DESTROYS
OF spending as much time at home with
their families Us possible. while Colonel
Pryor'S whole energies seemed to he
,t,.fx- l.
In camp. He placed sentinels very close
together around the grounds. but in
the rear OF the hospital there was a
very high brick wall which Colonel
Pryor thought could not be scaled with
out Il ladder. and as there were no lad
ders available, he neglected to guard
that part OF the camp. The men in
Company y soon found means of get
ting over. and one day II party of young
ladies walking through the grove IN
rear of the hospital saw three or four
of them climbing over and one of the
ladies remarked that they could climb
exactly MS vel as wild cats Even 10
this day. nearly 81 years afterwards.
the men OF Company d are spoken of
as "Richardson's wild Cats"
On May 29th. 1861. the company was
detached from the Third Regiment and
ordered to Craney Island. then under
command of Colonel George Richard
son. and placed In charge of a water
battery of six 32-pound guns. bearing
upon the main channel OF the river
from Sewalrs Point.
Lieutenant McAlpine resigned on the
4th Of May, 1861. 10 take command of
new company which was being or
ganized under the name of "Bllis0ly
Blues ca history of which appeared
yesterday This caused n vacancy and
Orderly Sergeant Skelln was elected to
f.b Nsr
million was promoted to First Sergeant.
These were the officers of the company
until the reorEaniza ton on the goth of
April. 1862. when the following were
elected:
Captain. William ]. Richardson: First
Lieutenant. Samuel w. Weaver; Second
Lieutenant George Linn: Third Lieu
tenant, Richard Vermilion; First Ser
gcant. William y. Culpepper; Second
Sergeant. Thomas II. Myers.
CAPTAIN RICHARDSON MADE
MAJOR.
Captain Richardson was promoted to
Major of the Ninth Regiment in June.
1852, and Lieutenant Weaver became
captain. Lieutenant Linn died in a hos
pital in Winchester in 1862. ard Lieu
tenant Nermillion became First Lieu
tenant. Sergeant VIM. \. Culpepper
was wounded Mt Gettysburg and dsa-
blod from further service and Second
Sergeant Thomas II. Myers was pro-
noted to Orderly Sergeant.
When the Ninth Virginia Regiment
was organized i'll June, 1861. this com
pany was attached to ii as Company
ID. Tho boys were very much amused
at the requirements of the adjutant at
Clancy Island. Lieutenant Thomas
Smith. son of Colonel +. II. Smith SUI
perntendent of the Virginia Military
Institute. who insisted upon their GO
faces cleanly shaved and shoes highly
polished. If Lieutenant Smith follow
ed tho army after ii got into active
warfare he possibly omitted the pol
,rh oil fro 10