The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-11-23
Tablet in Honor Of Botc.l
tourt Artillery Unveiled
on the Field.
MISS JOHNSTON
WRITES HISTORY
Tablet Was Presented BY Mr..
John T. Anderson, Of This City,
and Accepted by Govern
General Stephen
Lee Read Miss John /
ston's Paper.
Especial to The rimes-pispatcl,.,

Especial to The Times-D ispatch.)
VICkSBuRCi, MISS, November. 2a.-
A tablet erected In honor OF the Botc-
tourt, Virginia. Battery, which served
through the Siege OF vicksburg, was to-
day dedicated in the vicksburg Nation
al Military Park. This is the first Con-
ment OF the park. Virginia had but
one command on this battlefield in I s63.
Miss Mary Johnston. the novelist.
daughter OF Captain John w. Johnston,
captain OF the battery during the siege,
came here from Richmond to be Pres
ent with the veterans at the dedication.
There are only sixteen surviving
members. and several OF them arc
here. General S. D. Lee was In the
party. The Botetourt tablet bears tlie
following inscription: ss
Virginia Botetourt Artillery, 81
"Stevenson's Division. Army ofaVicksS
burg.
Captain John W. johnston. Lieutenant
Francis G. Obenschaln."
The tablet is located on 8Confederats
Avenue. on, Virginia Circle, near Stout.s
Bayou Bridge. 1t Is erected on grar-
lite post. s;ssa.
Ceremonies We're held tonight at
the First Baptist chuSch. Governor,
Vardaman delivered an eloquent and
patriotic address of welcome. The rc-
sponse and presentation OF the tablet
We're made by&AI John T. Anderson,
of Richmond Captain William T. Rigby
accepted 1t on behalf OF the govern
ment.
Miss Jolnston's story of the battery
was read by General Lee. The Twea-
tteth Century Club united with TIL.
Daughters of the Confederacy and the
Confederate Memorial Association In
reception to Miss Johnston. Mr. An.
derson and the other yirginians. Tho
Botetourt Battery was engaged in the
battles Of Port Gibson. Champion Hill
and the siege of Ncksburg.
Miss JohnstoAts sketch. s
The Following excerptx are made from
the history Of the battery, "a shrilltsnt.
ly written and carefully prepared pa
per by Miss Johnston: ,.ss a;s
county of Botetourt sent out from
farm and village. from forge and mill.
from lonely cabins In mountain clear
ings; m and goodly houses set in rose
Creek. and Mini creek. and Jennings
Creek; from Roaring Run and North
Mountain, froin Fincastle. Amsterdam
and Buchanan from every. nook and
service Of Virginia and the South. The
greater number OF these. during the
four years OF war; fought within the
bounds OF their Mother State. They
fought { e,a at Manassas and at Seven Pines.
other stricken field. They charged
with Pickett ut Gettysburg They
surrendered with Lee at Appomattox.
Others Q RS Of these Botetourt q. men fought.
Philip Sidney. when they heard of a
good war they went to It, They
fought in Virginia. in Kentucky. Ten
nessee. the carolinas. Georgia and Mis-
as the Mountain Rifles. then as Ander-
sons Battery. and then as the Bote-
tourt Artillery. fought "all over
On the banks OF the James, a few
OF Buchanan. Across the the 1is river s'.hss risss
abruptly great and high mountain
named Purgatory. Below the town
the river forces its way through tho
ntn Rlne Riags: above the vailey widens
the sun sets behind the AlleGhanies.
From this village and its neighbor-E
hood came. the majority OF the men
whose deeds in Mississippi arc com.
fmemorated by this stone.
Riflcmcn Volunteer.
On the seventeenth day of April,alss1.
Virginia seeded. The Mountain Rifles.
an infantry company. organized in
1859, at the time OF the John Brown
raid, at once once offered Its services. Its
Sderson; Its first lieutenant. Philip Pee
iters; the senior second, John William
Johnston: the junior second. Henry G.
3Douthatt, and the orderly-sergeant.
men, all We're friends. all were to face
q baptism of fire and blood. Behind
them We're four scoreEof their neigh
bors, friends and kindred. bound for
the same baptism. rs
In May y had volunteered for the
very short time necessary to drive the
North from the South; In the autumn
II volunteered anew, for the war
with the artillery. Upon recomn,en-
dation of the generals In command,
Captain Anderson obtained an order
from the War Department authoriz-
vice from Infantry to ARTILLERY. The
Mountain Rifles, now Anderson's Bat-
terry. went home on furlough for
tChristmas.8
completed their armament. Captain. is
officers and men We're In high spirits.
anticipating early and brilliant service
with that loved Army OF Northern Nir-
=sina. But upon the chess board. In
the field OF war. and in the cosmic
Plan. the pawns 60 not where they
would, but where they are sent. The
affairs OF the confederacy In East
Tennessee We're not In IA satisfactory
order directing the company In the
most forward state OF preparation at
Camp Lee to move al once, regardless
tlot OF Anderson's Battery to go, It
was the advanced company; the COM
pliment was great. forth trndged the
pawn. Andersons Battery lef, behind
the guns and equipment II had SO
fondlY counted on. left behind the con,-
rades beside whom, 1t would have liked
to fight. left behind rs home and It's
Mother State, but took kwlth " the af-
whom 1T had come In contact. With
Its flag flying. its drum and ilfe play-
ing Dixie. II marched away 10 Ten
nessee. sit SS
Iohnston Made Captain,
In this month (January, 1852 Cap.
tain Anderson was announced In gems K
eral orders. chief of artillery. Steven
sons Division. and a little @iater, HAs K