The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1907-05-06
RICHMOND BLUES
III YEARS. OLD
Historic Military Command to
Celebrate Anniversary With
Reception.
NEXT FRIDAY is THE DATE
Original Organization Of On.
Company Now Battalion Of
Three Companies.

Zhe Richmond Light Infantry Bluay
Battalion has issued invitations to q
reception to celebrate the one hundred
and fourteenth anniversary OF the or
Eanization OF the command on Friday,
May 10th. at the Masonic Temple, 0
E. NJ. The invitations are handsomely
engraved, and bear the insignia OF the
command in blue and silver upon the
stationery. The cards are issued in
the name of Major u. w. Bowles, com.
handing.
Tho committee in charge of the an
niversary reception consists of Lieu
tenant r. /. Mahoney, OF Company A,
chairman; Major l.. L. Cheatwood
Sergeant Walter Holiday. Sergeant
Julian Binford and Private r. y. Mum
ford. of tho Blues Associations: Ser
Eeant w. G.. Fuller. of Company Al;
Sergeant r. M. Bidgood. of Company
B; Sergeant r. Z. Peyton, OF Company
c: Private j. S. Hutcheson of Company
3, and Private job nArmis tend, of Com
pany c, Richmond Light Infantry Blues
Battalion.
The annual gathering of tho Blues
Battalion this year Will be in many
respects the most notable In the long
career of this honored organization,
covering more than a century. Original
ly and up to the ono hundred and first
anniversary, thirteen years ago, the
command consisted of but n single COM
pany; but this one was known all over
the United States. It has record in
peace and In war which lends lustre to
it's present and brlliancy to It's future.
Less than sixty days ago the third
company. c, of the battalion, was
formed. with q remarkable personnel,
~fkA<, ~ l.ax
rience. who had served for years with
tho two older companies. For the
first time. therefore, three full and
flourishins companies. together with
the association, consisting of former
active members of the battalion, will
assemble to commemorate the annlver-
sary, a red letter day In the military
history of the city and of the State.
The three companies consist of about
200 officers and men,
Recently Burned Out.
The recent experience of tho bat
talon In being burned out Of Its i'm
provised armory was misfortune IN
that 1t destroyed the handsome and
widely known full dress uniforms and
tho arms and equipment of the COM
mand as well as many historic relics
| of priceless value; but in some respects
the fire proved blessing. and will
| continue to prove so. The third COM
| pany was organized in the gloom fol-
lowing the fire. and while the older
| commands were homeless. unarmed and
| unauthorized. The misfortune caused
| the member5 of the association and the
| citizens generally to rally to the aid
| of the battalion and to contribute al
most without solicitation sufficient
money with which to purchase uni
| forms, or almost enough.
But 1t did more than that. 1t en-
| phasized the fact that the command
| had no armory and had had none for
years and that repetition of the fire
loss was likely to follow at any time.
When public attention had been thus
called to conditions movement pc
gan for u new armory, and this is now
well advanced toward fruition.
New Armory Is Assured.
The City Council in the annual bud
| get adopted in February Incorporated
an item of $4,000 as a first instrument
for an armory for the Blues. a ten
tatiye plan and site have also been con-
sidercd by subcommittee, and ere
this time next year the construction OF
the armory will probably have been
begun.
con templates rearing commodlous
and substantially constructed armory
on the site of the Second Market, at
sixth and Broad streets. The tentative
nlans consist Of @ combined market and
4 armory sufficient for and we'll adapted
: to both purposes This plan may be