The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-12-15
SEED cover OF
TINE CONFEDERACY.
The Famous Boy Company Of
Richmond, Commanded by
Captain w w. Parker.
THE CONFEDERATE WOMEN
Their Encouragemcnt'a and Efforts
Were Behind the Movements Of
the Men in the Field.

ttIC NlC1I III Liz IlCIA.
General Stephen D. Lee. In tho jack
son clarion-L Ledger.
In the Great War Between the States
from 1851 to 1865 the Confederate
States. because OF the great odds In
numbers and resources OF every kind,
Including recruits from Europe enter
Ing thu armies OF the Union. had to
have In the Confederate armies every
musket available In IT'S defense. It
vas a common remark during the war
that the South was "robblng the cradle
n not the grave" and this was nearer
true than Is commonly believed. when
We consider what is generally recog-
fized as the arms bearing population
of country" from eighteen to forty
or forty-five years of age. even when
In extremity the greatest drafts are
made to lfill the ranks OF armies In
wars. The Confederate armies had In
its ranks many boys from fourteen to
eighteen. and men as old as sixty-five
In great numbers before the close OF
tho war. XII
This condition Of affairs necessarily
brings out the fact that the women Of
the South were so patriotic that their
encouragement. and indeed their eff
forts was behind such movements In
ours. the most bloody and costly war
Of the centuries. In my reading his
tory learn that In al. great and
patriotic upheavals women have al
ways risen to the highest ideals Of
courage and Devotion and perform
their duty and part In equal earnest
ness and sacrifice az the men who
fill the ranks of the armies of war,
This was the case In ancient Judea,
in Sparta. In the Netherlands. In Spain
and Germany in our own Revolution
CRY War. and, In fact. with women all
over the world. Their courage and
moral heroism generally surpasses that
which animated the soldiers In the
front; but none In any age. in no
country. surpassed the patriotism. SUI
ferings. sacrifice. devotion and long
suffering of the women Of the South
during the Civil War. These splendid
traits were more conspicuous immedi-
nteiy after the war. amid the ruin.
desolation and despolling legislation
which followed It's close.
Old Acqua intnncex.
= Az the recant reunion at Richmond.
va. OF the United Confederate Vet
Grams. the writer had vivtdly recalled
to his memory and met many of the
young Confederate soldiers. whose
heads were Just beginning to grow
gray. belonging to company of artil
Icrv from Richmond. composed nearly
entirely of beardless boys from four.
teen TO eighteen years OF age. The
company was known as the Parker
Pattcry." commanded by Captain w.
w. Parker. n very religious member OF
one OF the leading Methodist churches
of Richmond. Va. 1t was also known.
as the hoy company" because only
the officers were of age. and possibly
a few other members. II was organ
izsi In the late spring or summer Of
1852. when General Mcclellan with
the Union Army was hammering at
t,l.lvery gates OF the city AT the time
the conscript law was being agitated.
and parents could scarcely hold the
boys In hand. To meet the situation
several churches asked DR.. Parker to
form, company of boys and when he
consented nearly every boy who could.
or felt he could, be soldier tried to
enlist, and this, too, generally with the
consent OF their parents, for otherwise
the boys would have been likely to
have run off and enlisted anyway. The
company was a pretty green one. in-
Gliding the captain. iieutenants. drivers
and all the members Of the battery;
thes had had little or no experience
IN drilling. In caring for the horses
attached to the guns. and in every re-
spect was very crude organization.
After General Lee had driven Gen.
eral Mcclellan from the gates OF Rich.
mond and began to move towards
Maryland In the f1rst campaign OF III.
vasion across the Potomac. the 'boy
company" reported to Colonel 8. ID. Lee
who had battalion OF three batterie.
of artillery. all Of whom had seen ser.
towards the battlefield Of Second Ma.
nassas the "boy company reported e
make the fourth battery OF the bat,
talon. When the battery reportal
Colonel Lee was shocked that such {
company Of Immature boys should 81
sent to him while on the march agafnsl
the enemy He, however. took Z thu
situation ID at once. took hold OF The
company and drilled and disciplined !,
hausting officers. men. drivers an,
horses In whipping them into SHAPE
for service, The strtctest discipline
was continuously enforced, and the
colonel soon saw he was not Very
4 popular with the new company--ir
.sact, he, saw he was greatly condemned
:; by officers and the entire company
: but there was no let-up In his effort 4
prepare the company for the battle 4
take place In. the near future, In ter
or twelve days after the hoy com
pany, Joined the battalion II was Fac
Ing the army OF General Pope on til,
battlefield OF Second Manassas. but til,
strenuous attention given the COMPANY,
had fitted them by drill In the han
ding Of their guns The colone
nursed them all the time: his post q
duty was with them as much as \ Il,
could SPARE the time, ON AN gust %
I 1862, the battalion OF artillery wa
in the centre OF the Confederate line .
battle General Longstreet's corps be
on Its left The eighteen guns war
all together during the battle. and tn
s.'bpy company, was 81 carErlIed II by tn
colonel close up to the enemy art'1l
~ the tlank OF the troops attacking