The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-04-24
A GUARD
OVER GOLD
%
Duty Assigned to Young Men
Upcntthc Evacuation
OF Richmond.
CONFEDERATE NAVAL CADETS
They Had Charge Of the Govern
,ncnt Coin From Richmond
to Augusta, Ga.

to Augusta, Ga.
THO following We take from the col
unns Of the Confederate Veteran, pub
Iishad al; Nashville. 1t Is doubly inter-
estinE, because 1t gives some history 9 4
the formation Of the Confederate naval
+ cnda.t lattalion and because 1t deals with
lie transportation OF the government
gold IRON the time when IL WIS .aken
from, Richmond on the day of the eVauc-
cation until it was put into The BANK
vaults at Augusta, Ga. The author was
DR.. John w Harris, of Augusta VINO
died in 1890 Our impression is that this
article was published In whole or, IN
part before Ills death, hut no matter, 1t
is eli continuing Importance. We 5quote:
CONFEDERATE NAVAL Cadets CAD ~
1T mag not be known generally THAT the
z confcderatc government had established
nnd conducted through tho last three
wears Of its existence n regularly or
RANKED and we'll perfected naval school
for the education of naval OFFICERS. early
in 1862 a prospectus appeared in one sof
the Richmond papers announcing inc 1or-
'1nation of an academy for Tho lnstruc-
Ation q. midshipmen; and soon after, ~
regular congressional appointments .he
various districts Of the Confederacy We're
enlisted.
The school was under the command OF
Captain William IT. Parker. Il liauten-
art Of the DID service. Assistant 1nstr'c-
S$tors IN the various departments were
cietai.eCl, some of them eS-5tudents or
Annapolis, and others mon of high schol1
arship selected from the army Inc
steamer Yorktown, which. few months
beful,s. had participated in the conflict
of the Merrirnac aud the Monitor MS a
tender to the former ship. was fitted
ur. gwen the name of Patrick Henry. and
ancnored off the shore batteries at Drew
.ty's ISluff Wher, the school was quar-
tered II, cottages built for the purpose.
J5ere ske remained for short time, and
was then lowed up the river to within
two miles of Richmond where she lay
Tor nearly a year with the entire acade-
my on board, and finally, about eight
months previous to the surrender, was
moved Up TO the city and lay at Rock-
ctts where she persisted in the flames
of the Sd Of April, 1866.
IN March, 1865. the health of the crew
Became impaired by the ioulness OF bilge
water, and the midshipmen We're removed
IRON, the ship and quartercd in q large
tobacco factory on tho conner or twenty
fourth and Franklin Streets. The writer,
in company with twelve or fifteen others,
had been nbato the naval hospital IN
TN. city sorae taHo- weeks previous.
on Sunday, the 2d OF April. there were
anxious looks upon the faces of the med
teal Officers OF the hospital, and about
a o'clock in the afternoon rnidshipmah,
coming into the ward to SEQ q SICK com
tade met the jeers and amused en-
l;ressiohs of many Of us because he Was
armed and equipped as all infantry SOL
dieY. instead of the dainty dress OF the
Confederate "Middy." The visitor infornl-,
ed us that at 9 O'Clock that day orders
had heen issued for the corps TO DC arm
I'd as infantry, and that they had peen
marched to the naval storehouse III dou-
bba-auick time and supplied with al lhe
necessary accoutren.ants Other rulnors
came in that members Of the senior class
and some spasscd midshipmen had been
seen ns officers in infantry marching
through the streets and that naVal
brIgaa. had been formed and tho IRON
clad squadron ut Drcwrys Blult had
been abandoned.
Then began a hustle in and about the
wards, and at shutdown the statement
was freely banded around that the Frcs.
ident and Cabinet had lett the city, ana
that ii was 10 be evacuated Mt once. At
o'clock the writer and Two comrades
drove in tho hospital ambulance TO the
quarters of the midshlpmen at the fac
tory and found 1t empty. on ono OF the
,luper floors was the mahogany table
and the silver table service of the ward
room, WATCHED over by an ola boalswaln's
mate and, sitting in solemn state nj the
bottom Of it, drinking and eating crack
erg, was The second lieutenant 70 nm
we mentioned the rumors, asked where
the boys had gone, and requested TO have
The sailors transport our baggage 70
the depot from which the school huu
started These lie met WITH ridicuie,
denied the evacuation OF the cltg, ana