Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-12-14
STORY OF THE Ei0WlTzERs.
s1The Bravcst OF Soldiers; shc Most
Honorable Of Men,
written for the Dispatch by Judge
George l.. ChrStiapl

!! (Writtan for the Dispatch by Judge
George L. Christiap.l
y brief sketch of the Iouitzer COM
I panias and the association will prove III
| teresurg. As is well known, the first
| Howitzer company vas born OF the eA-
element caused by the John Brown
! raid in 1859, and was organized Dy
/ George W. Randolph, afterwards the dis
tinguished Secretary of War of the Con
| federacy and ier-general IN its
| armies. General Randolph was de-
+, scendant of Thomas Jefferson, and one
of the most distinguished lawyers Of his
day. His military education was cb-
/ tanned at the Annapolis Naval Academy
The first military services OF the Ho"-
! itzers We're, therefore in the, John
Brown raid. which was really the pre-
| lude, If not the beginning, OF the war be-
! tween the States. Among other distln-
i guishcd officers Of the HowtZers may be
/ mentioned the names Of Captains John
! c. Shields Dr. William p. Palmer, and
! Captain Edward S. Mccarthy, OF the
| first company; John Thompson Brown,
| David Watson, and Lorraine Il. Jones,
| of the second company, and Robert G.
min II. Smith, of the third company.
| There were many lieutenants serseants,
/, and priEates OF these companies whose
! names now adOrn the rolls both OF Viz
| ginia's military and civil history: and q
| distinguished Sentleman-Who was not q
ltowitzer-has recently written Of them:
In war, the Richmond HowtZers We're
the sbraEest of soldiers; in peace, they
are the most honorable Of men.
When Virginia seeded in April, 1851.
the HoWitZCrs consisted Of only one
company, with Captain George W. Ran
d0lrh as its commander; but in less than
thirty days from that time it had grown
into q battalion Of three companies. COM
posed OF as fine material as any that en-
listed under the Confederate banner
The first officers OF three companies
were as follows:
First Company-Cap John c.
Shields: First Lieutenant. ". p. Palmer;
Second Lieutenant, Edward S. Mccarthy.
Second Con1pany-Captain. j, Thompson
Brown; First Lieutenant. James Elicit;
Second Lieutenant, William NJ. Archer.
Third Company-Captain. Robert c.
Standard; First Lieutenant. E. F. Nose
ley; Second Lieutenant, John NJ. West.
Later on Lleutenants Palmer and Nc
Carthy and r. NJ. Anderson became, re-
spectivey. captains OF the first, and
Henry Hudnall, David Watson. and Lor-
and Z. Z. Moseley and b. II. Smith cap
tains of the Third Company.
FIRED FIRST CANNON.
The Howitzers certainly fired the first
cannon fired on Nirginia's soil at the
gunboat Yankee off Gloucester Point, on
May the {, 1861; and they were equally
certainly among those firing last before
the surrender at Appomattox. Of those
first shots fired at the Yankee. which
We're from the little i-pounder Dahlgren
rihed liowitZer (now said to be on ex-
hibition in the War Department at
Washington. the then Assistant Secce-
tary Of War (Mr. Foso. who was on the
Yankee. said that the firing was SO ac-
curate and destructive that it proceeded
from Columbians in Qualifications. They
We're among the first Virginia troops
sent into the field the First Company
having been sent to Manassas and the
Second and Third to the Peninsula The
nd ,i.-I I moi, nal or
tillery engaged at the battle OF Bethel.
fought on Junesl0. 1851, which was the
first real engagement OF the war hence.
from Bethel TO AppomattoXs is the
legend which ddorfS the walls OF the
present HowitZer Armory. 1t can be safely
said that there was hardly any engage
nrent Of Importance OF the Army OF
Northern Virginia in which one or tho
bear a conspicuous part. and on every
field in which they We're participants
they received the highest co1nDfandatior-i
from their commanding officers. General
Browns Artillery then comprising two
companies of the Howitzers, should be
sent to him at Fredericksburg, OF Which
battle Yesterday was me anniversary
reunions of the association each year.
ORIGIN OF THE ASSOCIATIONS.
The Howitzer ASSOCIATION was Orga-z
nized on December 3, 1874 ColoEtalsJ. C.
SnleluS. SO long coiHecLed Win me -rllcn-
mond Wing. was the first president He
has been succeeded by the following we'll
known gentlemen: Judge George L.
Christian. John S. Elicit, James T. Gray,
George D. Thaxton, J. Taylor Ellyson.
Henry ". Flournoy s. H. Halves, Will
liam l.. White, Frank D. Hill. George \.
Smith, L. Moore. A.narles=rL. oda,,,
j. NJ Fourqurean. Stephen 3. Hughes
Edward Gray. r. r. Roberts, T. Roberts
Baker. A. O. Jones. Robrrt g. Tosher,
and Charles E. Wingo the incumbent