The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1903-06-28
TABLETS
TO HEROES
Unwilling Exercises in Tap
pahannock Courthouse.
COL. PURCELL's SPEECH
Tribute TO General Garnet and the
Brave Latane Brothers-Confed-
crate Camp Eeorganized and
Officers Elected.
COL. PURCELL'S SFEEc
Special to The Times. plspatch.)

one OF the most interesting events that
has occurred in Essex In a. long time
was the tablet unwilling last Monday
week at the assembly OF County Court.
under the auspices OF Wright Latanc
Camp. reorganzed the same day, Win
Judge r. B. II. Wright as commander,
the Daughters Of the Confederacy ana
the ladies' OF the Monument Association,
the exercises were held.
a large crowd of ladies and gentle
men filled the courtroom to greet COL
onel John b. Purcell and Mrs. purcell.
OF Richmond. Va, and Miss Susan La
tame, OF Baltimore, Md, and to sec the
beautiful tablets presented and un-'
covered
II Captain A. F. Bagby led the quartette
which rendered exquisite music patri-
otlc selections. and alternately Inter-
spersed with war songs. with o. chorus
OF five lady voices, during the entire
quartette were James r. Fleet. King
and Queen; Colonel John r. Saunders.
Middlcsex; z. NJ. Ware. Jr. Maury
IIundley and B. j. Saunders. with Cap
tain l3agby, Essex.
One tablet to the famous Latane Bat
terry, Captain William Latane. ond Lieu
tenant John Latane. and another to
Brisadier- General Richard Brooke s Car
The f,rst tablet was presented BY Hon.
william Campbell and accepted by Hon,
Claggett b. Jones. Both speeches were
handsomely delivered and greatly ap-
plauded.
The tablet to General Garrett was
erected In loving memory by his niece.
Mrs. John B. Purcell and presented by
Colonel John B. Purcell and received
by Judge Blakey, Commemorative At
torney. ~.
{ 4 RI. r tap nd Garnet
let BY Miss Della Wright, both Of Tap
pahannock ,
Colonel Purcell, after a graceful and
eIoauent exordium and thrilling perora-
ton applauded to the echo. among otner
things. said:
tits not to be supposed that the now
OF river has any apprecable influence
upon the character OF the people VINO IN
habit It's shores. and yet We might De
justified in thinking that the climatic IN
.Nuencc OF the Potomac and Rappahan.
mock had conduced to make a race OF
people whose leaders stand out In history
az exemplars OF those virtues which.
when possessed by men. caused them TO
be classed by the world as heroes ana
patriots In this 1evered section OF a
State noted throughout Its limits for It's
great characters, we are Justly impre ed
by the fact that here were born Washing
ton. Monroe and Mason: that here was
4 the home of John Paul. jones. and that IN
this favored section was born ana reared
Robert Edward Lee.
III this Immediate county Of Essex were
born and reared and lived NJ 90 r. II.
Garrett, Robert Mercer Taliatssrro Hun
ter. among the foremost statesmen OF our
81 country: General Robert s. Garnett, VINO
fell at Cheat Mountain. and also the mod
est gentleman and brilliant soldier, Cen
eral Richard Brooke Garrett, whose
memory we celebrate to-day, and in en-
during marble perpetuate to future gem
crations the lofty deed OF patriotism with
which he sealed his devotion to his State,
in his own crimson blood upon the fate
fuI field OF Gettysburg
General Richard Brooke Garnett was
horn in the county Of Essex. September
10. 1919. the son OF Colonel William Gar
4 nett and Anna Maria Brooke. OF Rose
Z Hill. Both of these families are linked
with the history of your county from our
earliest colonial days CHS twin brother,
William Henry Garnet. lost his life as
+ volunteer nurse in the yellow fever
epidemic In Norfolk In 1859
When General Garrett had attained the
prescribed age, he was entered as cadet
at the West Point Military Academy.
where he graduated In 1s41. and was as
signed to the Sixth Regiment of Infantry.
+ He served during the Mexican War as a
staff officer to his uncle. General George
NJ. Brooke: also in the Florida War with
q the Seminole Indians. and In 1861 had at
tanned the rank of captain In 1.-THE United
States army. When the thunderbolt OF
war resounded throughout the land. and
efVirglnia called to her sons to come to
Z her aid, he promptly resigned his COM
z mission and rendered his sword where he
u believed his first allegiance was due.
In 1862 we find him brigader-general.
commanding the old Stonewall Brigade
men, attacked Shields with 1900, Here
q. he fought those Overwhelming odds until
all ammunition being exhausted. he felt
compelled to retire. He did not know
then, nor. did any one else Of what
that Incompatible brigade was capable.
yet. perhaps they could not have done
then what they were capable of doing
when Injured, accustomed and disciplined
TO afterwards: but the wonderful and
transcendent genius OF stonewall Jack
son convinced them that that fatal field
might have been held with the bayonet.
rebuked the retreat ordered by General
Garnet. and on the next day placed him
under arrest and held him thus to await
court-martial. mention this to show
the patient patriotism of the man. Con-
scious of the rectitude OF his action. he
sulked not, but eager for the vindcation
he knew the court would bring him, he
prayed to be brought to trial. For some
unknown reason this was never done. and
he remained without command until the
again find him, assigned by order Of Gen
7 eral Lee to thelcommand Of Picketts old
brigade. Pickett being absent. wounded.
When Pickett was promoted to major
general Garrett was assigned permanent
{ ~ to Plckett's Brigade, He commanded
this brigade at sharpsburg, In the spring
s of 1868 he was with Longstreet in North
Carolina and around Suffolk Va,
INDICATED BY LEE.
Thus yindicated by the confidence OF
Lee. he devoted himself to the cause,
without useless repining. and no one ever
heardga word OF blame for Jackson pass
HIS lips; and when in the spring OF 1864
the body OF stonewall jackson was laid
70 rest In Lexington Cemetery. General
Garnett was one of the general officers
selected as a pall-bearer Of the great hero
of our war, and his unselt1sh devotion
buried In the grave of jackson the an
guish which the dead had caused the
living Fastening back, he Joined the
army. then preparing for It's second
Maryland campaign, little reckoning that
he would soon follow his great comman-
der, and he, too, rest under the shade
OF the trees - sJ's#fs I'll