The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1905-10-06
Listened to Great Men.

Following his graduation. young Stiles
passed the summer and autumn fishing
and hunting in tho Adrondacks and de-
voted the rest OF the year to teaching
In New Haven, until, becoming deeply
Interested in the fight, for the speaker
ship OF tho House of Representatives, he
went TO Washington. Here he dwclt dur
Ing one OF the crucial periods Of Amer
lean history. and often talked with such
great statesmen as Seward and Douglas,
breckenridge, Davis and Toombs anu
benjamin. In the Senate: Sherman and
Stevens, Logan and vnllandighan, Pryor
and Kcitt, Bocock and Rarksdale and
Extra Billy" Smith, OF Virginia In the
Housc.
From washington young stiles came to
Richmond with view OF spying out the
land" as a place in, which to@try his for
tune when he had acquired a profession.
About this time the Virginia" troops were
ilst returning from the execution OF John
Brown at Charlestown, and young Stiles
was shocked and saddened to see many
men OF his own age In military uniform.
He did not then realize what was to
follow In few months.
Became a Soldier.
Major stiles and his brother Joined the
Confederate service In this city by en-
listing In an Infantry company called
after q favorite corps which had left
the city for the front, Junior Company
n" which was being drilled in awkward
squads in a large basement room under
the Sr,otsWood Hotel. But somehow the
two young men felt that the Juniors were
Changing fire too long" and they daily
grew more restless, especially after the
affair at Bethel And when the news OF
the great battle at Manassas shocked the
CITY they could restrain themselves no
longer. They met two soldiers OF the
First Company, Richmond Howitzers'
who smuggled them on train and TOOK
them to Manassas, Here they joined the
famous organization Of cannoneers. Con-
corning this incident, Major Suies hu-
morously says in his book:
.1n connection with this process OF
training down to fighting weight. 1t oc-
ours to me that tho wagon train OF the
FIRST Company Richmond Howitzers.
during the first nine months OF the war
was verify believe, quite as large as
mat IF any infantry brigade in the army
during tho grand campaign OF 1864. Man!
of the private soldiers OF the company
had their trunks with them. ana | 'e.
member mart OF the contents OF one OF
them consisted of q dozen face ana d
smaller number of foot or bath towels
But these ridiculous Injuries were
quickly discarded, ms everybody Knows
Stiles in the War.
i, his delightful book, -Four Years
1,rder harse Robert, Major stiles tells
Mis- own war story from which narratlEe
n few facts may be culled for TINS sketcn:
IA fore stated, he became me mem, u
The First Howitzers. When Capelrs bnt-
talon OF artillery was orsanl1ed ,Wltn
four batteries-the First Company, l N'cm-
mond FIowitzers; Hanly's Battery, NORTH
Carolina; the Troupe Artillery ana FRA
zler,s Battery Of Georsia-Colonel "a, Y.
Cabell became It's cohimander ana MAJOR
stiles his adjutant The young soldier
had held no commission until after Chan-
cellorsyillc, in which battle no fought.
hut soon after Gettysburg, Colonel Cabell
sought him out and had him assigned 10
duty as adjutnnt in Cabells patalllon,
some time in December, 1864. the sub
iect of this sketch was promoted TO 30
major of artillery, and c,-dered on duty
with tho battalion Of heavy artillery at
Chaffin's Bluff. ten or twelve miles be-
low Richmond. and about n mile below
Drewry's Bluff. For conslu~able while
Major stiles was In command OF this
IMPORTANT post, and here he became thor
oughly acquainted with his duties and
his men,
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