The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-12-31
ARTILLERY.
h (Bv. =. 4. McDowell.1

(BYSW. G. McDowell.l
The Rockhridge Artillery might properly
and truly be called 'the big men behind
the big guns''-nrst, on account Of the
extraordinary service they rendered their
country from the skirnish at Evansville,
JUL, Z. 1851, where A1ery, fired the nrst
big Confederate gun in the Shenandoah
Valley, through four years, embracing
81 nearly every skirmish and battle fought
6inatVirginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania,
toEApponlattox. where, upon the last day,
AsAptilS $. 1lse5. they fired their last gun.
s%urrendering ninety-three officers and Spri-!
YATES, an evidence Of how they stuck to
aSsdheir guns. through desolation, deprlva-
I'M tionS and starvation. They also deserve
this %a%ppellntion on account OF the high
intellectual qualities of officers and pri-
Yates 1ns3.s.The Life @of stoneWall Jack
son. by his wife, We find on the roster
Of the Rockbridge Artillery seven mas
tiers OF arts Of the UniYersitygof Virginia,
I forty-two other college graduates, nine
teen biological students ~aIidNothers Gin
III Guiding tn youngest son or General r e.
Lee) who We're among thu noblest young
men sof the south,ssa and 2 proportion OK
VI protesting Christian men MS surprisingly
large as 1t was highly gratifying, most Of
~ whom We're prtYates." After the war
ag seventy-twos Of these mon entered pro-
fessionnl8 life in four of sits department Is:
Twenty-three cicrgyInen, Including a
bishop 9and q number Of eminent doctors
tof divinity; twenty-slx lawyers. including
three Judges and somefof the most prom
lnents practitioner IN Virginia and other
States; sixteen educators, on several Of
whom was conferred the high distinction.
OF doctor OF laws. and seven physicians,
well known to their professional breth-3
rem. Besides these, Others prominent as
bankers and engineers. Another evidence
of the high intellectual type OF these men
Is found In the fact that forty-nye OF
the priyates OF this company were pro-
NOTED to be commissioned officers and
assigned TO other commands, many OF
them attaining high rank and becoming
Is quito distinguished.
The enrolment OF the RockbrIdge Ar
ss ttllery began at Lexington, Va, on April
40, 1851; In less than a week 1t included
Eeyenty-seyen officers and priyates, under
command OF Captain John McCausland,
who In a few days WAS promoted to be
Heutepant-colonel and senfSto West Wis
ginia..3 when the Rsy. w, N, Pendleton,
-. D.. was unanimously elected captain.
under whose leadership the company left
lexington on May 10th for the seat OF
war 0Wenty-three days after the first en-
Tollmenp, carrying with It two small
brass six-pounders from Che Virginia
Stannton, Va, the company was regularly
mustered Into service. leaving at once
for gHarper's Ferry, TO Join Colonel II. j..
Jackson ('stonewall'). where It received
two more guns. This battery did fne
service at First Manassas. and after the
aNA Nfrnt E Rrfppha n yru IL nrpl ply nd ~ ard ta ~
tized the "StonewRlf Brigade, the Rock
bridge Artillery was assigned to II. and
continued a part OF 1t, participating In
all Its battles and skirmishes 10 sharps-
burg. Upon the reorganization of the
artillery In October. 1862, the battery was
ginia Artillery. under command OF Col.
!. Tliop kon Brown, and continued with
It unit close of tho war,
gTh dyhpany had nye captains during
the war; John McCausland, a~fterward
acknowledgement OF cavalry; Rev. w. NJ.
ssnernltof artillery and chief of artillery
~ the Army OF Northern Virginia; Judge
william Mclaughlin. afterward l~ieuten-
8 ant-e0lorel of artillery In the Army Of
Northern Virginia: ~. T. Poague. after
ward lieutenant-colonel OF artillery in
me Army OF Northern Virginia and Ar
seiltbald Graham who commanded the
bntteyy from Second fredericksburg TO
Appn1nattox. Lieutenant ]. y. Brocken-
broush and Private r., G. NJ, Page rose
tn be majors of artillery In the Army Of
Northern VIRGINIA.
Az no time during the warldtd the Rock
bridge Artillery lack for recruits. but
had d list from which II could III its
ranks when depleted by heavy casualties
and by nurnerols promotions from Its
roster, AT Kernst0wn liza rolls contained
shout two hundred and ATTY mon, with
eight guns; after that battle the com
jackson to form, d battalion, ard after
forming two cornpa MES an delccting their
officers. for Rome reason the permission
was cnuntermatlded from headquarters at
1iichmond. and the company was order-d
to cut down Its number to LEO men and
permission was given the remainder 70