Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1917-10-12
Captain Johnson, Two Cooks and
Seven Sergeants All That Remains
of Original Company.

The National Guard company known
as the Alexandria Light Infantry for
over quarter of century (ant
officially Company G, 1st Virginia
Infantry, since the Spanish war;
went out of existence on October ..
/, It has little prospect of being re-
vived, at least during, the present
war military necessity" is the only
explanation which members of the
company have been offered. And
when that is given as a reason, ar
gument-at least in strictly mill
tary circles-ceases.
Along with the Alexandria COM
pany, all THOSE in both the 1st and
End Virginia regiments of infantry
suffered the same fate. Several COM
panies in each regiment did keep
their organization intact, and were
transformed bodily into units of the
newly formed 116th U. S. infantry,
of which practically all Virginia
: guartsr1en who came to Admission
are now members.
The breaking up of the regiment
and especially of the separate COM
panies was regretted by all the
guardsmen, from commanding Off
ce,is down, and what effect it will
have upon the morale of the men
remains to be seen. Probably the
large majority of them chose the
National Guard as the branch of
military service where they could
serve with the most enthusiasm and
common interest, and selected their
home town companies under the i'm
pulse of local pride and community
spirit. They anticipated that under
the European plan of large COM
paniels, the militia units would have
to be enlarged by the addition of
drafted men, as was indicated some
time ago. But the actual disintegra-
tion of the whole Virginia volun-
teer organization came as an unex-
pected blow.
Company funds and gifts to the
different organizations provided by
their townsfolks, are now practical
" without owners. In most cases
they have been turned over to the
organizations into which the ma
iority of the company's men were
drafted. Practical assistance plan
ned for the companies in the future
will likewise be seriously hampered,
such as the sweaters and other KNIT
tod wear which local chapters OF the
Red Cross had almost universally
arranged for.
Members of what was the AleX-
andria- Light Infantry are now scat
tered among six companies 5.in the
new regiment: A, c, L. Il, and lss'
Headquarters company. The majority
wen, to what was Company |, OF
staunton. in the 1st Virginia, and
the next largest number of Alexan-
driars to the Lynchburg Musketeers
and few to company formed
around NJ of Danville.
Second Lieutenant F. Clinton
KNIGHT, of Company G, was trans
ferred to Company H of Covington
before it was shifted to the new re-
piment; and few men not assigned
70 the other three companies men
toned were grouped in its headquar-
TORS company. First Lieutenant
1o,;s \ Duffey went with the ma
iority of the company to I.
Captain johnson, with his two
ooors and seven sergeants from his
company. is all that remains OF the
Alexandria Light Infantry. Even
this handful. along with similar
groups from other companies no'
transferred bodily to the i1o'n'
have lost all local identity ana are
classified as a Casual Attachment VI
the 54th Depot Brigade, OF whlcn the
new 116th regiment rs unit. "ha'
d;sposition will be made OF these 1e"
remaining officers and sergeants mas
,,+ been disclosed, thought 1t IS TN,
dsrstood unoficially that they Wi
- used to train Virginia conscrlpts
- ha sent down from Petersburg
The sergeants remaining WIZ
Contain Johnson unassigned are: Is
soroaant Benjamin s. Steiner, sup
nlv sergeant William F: 'Bosweil
nass sergeant George H. Jones
SERGEANT E. Leon Hume lacting me
.honic>, sergeant John Lyon factlns
comnany clerk) and line sereean:'
BENJAMIN F. Swami and Herman
Iaaforeen. The promotion of the me
L ASS'- rlarl 4o