The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1906-03-11
STUART'S MEN
f IRIS! CAVALRY.
How and Where 1t Was Found
in Early Days of
War.
ABOUT sTuARTs DISCIPLINE
Fitz Lees Brigade at Appoinattox
Was After Sheridan to the
Last.
ABOUT sTuART's DISCIPLINE
Editor Of The Times-pispatcn:

Editor Of The -Dispatcn:
Sufficiently had the good fortune to
receive through friend of mine copy
OF the Weekly Times Dispatch of Feb
ruary 14th. The marked article intended
for my eye was that of Lieutenant John
A. Holtzman, of tho Fourth Virginia Cav
airy.
The writer had the honor OF being n
member OF the First Virginia Cavalry
during the war between the States. This
regiment was organized by the famous
j. E. B.. Stuart at Harpcrs Ferry, Va.
the latter part OF April. 1861, into
cavalry battalion composed OF eight COM
panies. j. r. r. Stuart Mt that time held
q commission from the State of Virginia
as lieutenant-colonel OF cavalry.
Four of the companies which assembled
at Harper's Ferry Immediately after the
call of President LINCOLN for $4,000 troops
to coerce South Carolina, had seen SER
vice at the John Brown raid In October.
1859 These were Company "a" of Fred
erick county; Company b" of Berkeley
county: IF" of Jefferson county, and
II" OF Loudoun county.
The threat Of the abolition party Of
the North to rescue John Brown and his
nj Virginia required the State to turn
out over 1000 troops for the protection
Of its prisoners. and the many memorial
Eervices held In honor of John Brown,
after his execution. in many States of the
North where he was held up to the people
as a martyr. caused the Southern people
to see that the institution of slavery was
In jeopardy. and that the many threats
that this abolition party had made to
Il I,A Ir,,p, In tl,a
near future. Hence a great many young
men Of the South entered military organ
izations
All military companies prior to this time
had more feature of sociability and enter
tainment than, war in view. so that a
young man. to get into these voluntary
companies. particularly cavalry, had to
be able to furnish good mounts, his own
Uniform and equipment. and bear his part
of any expense that the company might
Incur from social functions or trips. Thus
you will see that these early organized
Companies We're composed OF the very
best young men Of the country nearly all
of them being sons Of farmers or large
planters. who were used TO horse and gun
almost from infancy. md 1t would have
been hard TO. find In &he United States
at that..tIEsc better material for cavalry
service than was found In the state Of
Virginia In 1861.
A few days afr the organization of
this battalion of cavalry other companies
came In and formed the First Regiment
of Virginia Cavalry. And in few days
more followed the JEFF. Davis Legion of
Mississippi, and was added to the only
cavalry organization then serving with
Joe q. Johnston in Virginia, giving this
First Regiment about 1900 men. Stuart
Vas then commissioned full colonel
cite these facts to show the material
that composed the early organizations
of the Army Of Northern Virginia. The
rule that held In cavalry also held In in
fantry and artillery companies to great
fegree
However, the first young men OF the
cavalry branch of the service to assem-
BILE would be very naturally supposed to
be found In the first regiments organized,
and hence members of Fitz Lees brigade
feel that their brigade, If not the very
best. was equal to the very best cavalry
organization of any army 1t was very
natural for Stuarts own regiment to
feel the effects of his early discipline and
training. and their superiority Stuart
has said on more than one occasion that
he loved the First Regiment because II
had made him n major general.
Now that North Carolina should claim
that her troops fired the first shot of the
war, and went further AT Gettysburg
and fired the last shot, makes those WHO
know the facts regret that North Caro-.
lima. who did so we'll her part during
the war, would set UP any such claims
1t is a fact that cannot be denied. ms
stated In the article OF Lieutenant HoltZ.
man, that the gallant Mari was killed
at Fairfax Courthouse on the LIST OF June
The skirmish Mt Philippi, Va, occurred
June Sd between troops under Colone
Porterhcld, In command of the Confed
crates and Colonel y. f. Kelley com
mnnding the Irederals In this slirmisl
John Brown Wynant was killed. Thi.
young man belonged to n cavalry com
pany and was reared within half mil,
of the writer, and with whom ho wa,
very intimate, AT the time the peopi
Of tho community considered that youu,
Wynant was tho first man killed dufin,
the war in Virginia, while the battle o
Blg Bethel. IN which North CaroIln;
troops We're first engaged In war. wa
Fought on the 10TH Not only that. bu
before tie 10th one. Private Ceore
Funkhouser. Company 7, First Virgins
Cavalry. waH pcketed on Bolivar Heights
near Harper's Ferry, when three Yankee
approached his picket post. where he wa
stationed in some bushes on the side o
the road. Funkhouser as all OF us, wa
green In the art OF war. His only equip
nlent was an old iron sabre and Mint
lock holster pistol that some OF his fore
bearers had used In former war. Whe
the Yankees came pretty close to Funk
houser he attempted to fire on them wit
his old fiintlock pistol bat It missed fire
He flled the pan with powder and trie