The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-09
THE .nLuEs. AND THEIR FRIENDS.

THE .uLuES- AND THEIR FRIENDS.
The Foot Guards, from Hartford and
New Haven, and the Light Infantry,
from Providence, Will arrive in Rich
tnond this morning. Governor Weeks.
OF Connecticut and Governor Pothier,
OF Rhode Island, with their respective
Etaffs. will accompany the soldiers
They are all coming to take part in
the dedication of the New Armory of
the Richmond Light infantry Blues
1t is very nice thing for them to do.
and their coming will be hailed by the
people of this town as another step
toward real fraternization. 1t is true
that the Governor of North Carolina
will not be present, but what he said
to the Governor of South Carolina noed
not he forgotten, and ought not TO be
forgotten, .'for aud lang syne, my
dear
Ills a great thing for the Rcspcctab1es
TO get together occasionally III these
new IA shioned times. when new States
are possible wherever thereis sufficient
urea and the census enunerators have
been good enough counters and the
political complexion OF the majority
seems to harmonic with the Admin
istration at Washington. There was
time ever 50 long ago, about the
time the Foo; Guards and the Blues
were organized, when States had to
be hewn out of the wilderness and
their Independence achieved by the
courage of the people who made them
and not by acts of Congress, That was
the way with Connecticut and Rhode
Island and Virginia, and one of the
reasons why Virginia ard Rhode Island
and Connecticut have TIE right to feel
that they are rather better than the
most Of the new corners. and that is
why we are awfully glad to see our
New England friends to-day.
WE have not the history of the Hart
ford Company before us at this
writing nor the history of the Provi-
dence Company; hut they arc both
ever 80 old, and they improve with
each lengthening chain. There is the
Foot Guards. of New Haven, however.
and they have been on duty since De-
cember, 1774. That is not as long
ago as the settlement of Jamestown
nv Captain John Smith. and the mar
riage of Pocahontas, nor was 1t until
long after st. Mchaors Church was
established in Charleston: but Just
about the time Patrick Henry was say
ing to the patriots in old ST Johns
Church. on Church Hill: rs life so
dear or peace so sweet as to be pur-
chased at the price Of chains and
slavery Forbid it Almighty God"
the Foot Guards were being taught
1.-The military exercise" by Edward
Burke for the consideration OF three
such time as, s'e shah think ourselves
expert th.reisr" Sixty-hve men sub
soribed TO the articles of agreement.
They proposed to wear some uniform
dress. such as red coat. white vest
Chat was long before Tim Woodruff
achieved fame by his weskits), white
breaches and stockings black half-leg
gins. or any other dress that may then
be thought proper" and agreed to fur
nish themselves with guns and bayo-
nets, as near uniform as possible. The
signatories started with 'Ilezekiah
Sabin. Jr., and ended with Caleb
Trowbridge" There We're no Algernons
or Ber,iss or Willies among them. but
stanlial names as Samuel. Amos,
Elijah. Ezekiel. Jabe2, Ezra. Elialtim,
Joshua, Eleaser Benoni and Elisha, and
they We're all good men and true cx-
cepting. OF course Benedict Arnold,
who fell into some disfavor some years
later for a reason winch ned not be
dwelt upon to-day. AS matter of fact,
Benedict Arnold was the first captain
Of the New Haven Company, and as
long as he stayed with ii he was as
straight as a string and as brave and
true as ANYBODY The Foot Guards did
good service in the War of the Revo-
luton, were ready for duty in 1912,
Were mustered into service in 1861, and
sent sixteen commissioned and non
commissioned officers and seventy six
privates to the Union army, and since
the war ended forty-dvc Years ago,
they have been trying to make peace
They have been to Richmond and vir-
ginia before, and they are thrice well
coined now. Blessed are the peace
makers
The richmond Light Infantry Blues
were organized in 1889, and they have
heen in service ever since and are
filter now than ever for whatever
service their State and country re-
ouires of them. They fought in the
War of 1912, in the War with
Mexico. in the War Between The
States. in the spanish-Amercan
War; and they would fight tomorrow
with all their oid-time fire and devo-
{,ion; FOR they have preserved the
Ter, ~ he OF Eal flf