The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1914-07-19
AN OLD-TIMER WRITES
OF DAYS IN WARTIME

Bedford City. Va, July III have
heard OF your recent publication OF the
days during the War of 1881 to the
evacuation OF Richmond. The writer
was employed as an Office boy up to
eight months previous to the evacua-
ton. The paper was known as The
Dispatch. James NJ. Cowardin was
editor, John D. Hammersley business
manager: firms name. "Cowardin &
Hammersley." The office was on the
corner of Thirteenth and Main Streets.
and was considered an up-to-da;e
building. on account of having a plate
glass 'front.' James w. Lewellyn was
bookkeeper; MILAN Wiggles worth
kept the subscription books; Ben
Chaikley, clerk: Harry Tinsley was
local reporter for the city, and was
considered an up-to-date man. opened
the office at \. NJ. distributing the
papers TO the newsboys. After eating
breakfast. | would procure a horse
ana take as many papers rs | could
carry on horseback, visit some nearby
camps, selling each at s. a copy. There
was also published the Wing Daily.
office Thirteenth and Franklin Streets,
and on Thirteenth Street, between Main
and Franklin, Rives Pollard publishe ed
the Examiner.
From 1862 up to the closing OF the
war the great difficulty the Dispatch
had was IN procuring paper to print
II on. AT one time they thought they
would nave TO reduce its size and print
on the wrong side of wall paper. but
they finally found a paper mill at
Bonsacks. Va, and procured what they
wanted. 1t was hard TO determine
which was the most valuable, the Con-
federate money or the Dispatch. Eight
months previous to the closing OF the
war the Confederate Congress passed
law compelling all male persons,
regardless of age, who were able TO
do duty to enrol themselves In the Home
Guard. only to be used in cases of
emergencies. General James l.. KEN
per. who was wounded at the Battle Of
Gettysburg, not being able To do field
services. was put in command with
headquarters in the Baptist Institute.
school for ladies'. He had with him
his full staff. Major Fry was his
adjutant.
Shortly prior to the closing OF the
war. l went to Hamilton Crossing, Va
with dispatch and was captured and
sent 10 Baltimore and was In Jail in
charge of General Wooley. L. s. A.
After the war closed ! was sent back
to Richmond to report TO General
Schoofeld. When / arrived at Rockets
! tore the order UP and went home, and
according to the record in the war
Departmnt am still paroled prisoner.
My father was of the firm of Beer.
Spilman & PoindeXter. tailors, Main
Street. between Thirteenth and Four
teenth.
In the days during the war the prin-
cipal place OF amusement was tho
Broad Street Theatre, owned by Dorey
Ogden and Mrs. Lizzie McGill Ida
Vernon gave the first performance OF
East Lynn.
r. Jean Buckley and Tim Norris ran
minstrel show on Franklin Street,
between Thirteenth and Fourteenth
Streets. in the old church. There were
no seats except the pews, so if YOU de-
sired while they were cracking jokes
you could say your prayers. When
Nero, the bloodhound that was used in
Castle Thunder" to guard against
prisoners escaping, was siX-month
pup. gave him to Captain Benson who
had charge.
Things looked so dscouraging after
the. war that | went to Denver Col /;
was n travelling man: made Colorado
and Wyoming In the cigar line; made
the Cripple Creek. Col. In the early
days, when gambling was wide open.
am n member of Elks Lodge No. II.
Denver. Col. My age (sixty-eight years)
forced mo to discontinue my business,
and three years ago 1 came to the home