Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1922-01-01

Intelligence that the title of
First Regiment IL to pass from
the Virginia National Guard. and be
clouded behind the mysterious No.
ZIG or No. 1888. whichever tho off,
Gals at Washington decree, and that
the First Brigade Will hcnccforth be
known as Brigade No. 81. caused tho
minds of many yesterday TO 20 back
to tho stirring days OF '6l when the
First Richmond Volunteers were
mustered into the Confederate ser
vice.
Seven companies Of the odd
First" Regiment Infantry, which rep
resented part of Richmonds con-
tribution TO the Confederacy's cause,
were mustered into the service in
this city, but contrary to popular
supposition. were never directly
mustered into the army which sur
rendered with Lee Mt Appomattox
When these companies, which com
posed part OF this regiments i'm
mortal roster, received their FIRST
call To take UP arms In the defense
OF the South. II camo from the State
OF Virginia. and not from the Con-
fcderatc government. and II was into
the service OF the former. primarily,
that th9y were mustered on April
81. 1861.
Trained mt "Camp Lee"
Tho mastering was done at the
old State courthouse, as It was
known, "a building which stood on
Twelfth street near where the State
Library Building now stands. and
which was destroyed by the evacua-
ton nrc OF April g. 1865, The men
were passed upon by General Bald
win and on the 27ih they went into
training at Camp Ice" which was
then Familiarity known rs the new
Fair Grounds. The companies thus
mustered I'm were p. G, u. g. II. /
and X.
Company 4. OF the First tthc Rich
mond Grays). as 1t existed before the
opening OF hostili,ics. had hccn sent
to Norfolk. where /, was later at
tnchcd 10 the Twelfth Virginia Rcgi-
ment. and Company L UBlucs) to
Frederick sburr. where II became n
part Of the Twcnty-nrst Regiment.
and thus were assigned To active
service the entire ten companies.
Smiths Band. a familiar local must
cal organization of those days. played
for tho boys as they marched OF to
service.
Field officers OF Unit.
Tho field officers OF the regiment
were: colonel 4. 7. Moore: lieutenant
colonel. William ~. Fry: major. VIII
liam Munford: adjutant, George G.
Otcy; sergeant major. William o.
Harvey: Quartcrmastcr- lieutenant. l..
g. Allen; comm!ssary, -. Is. Bridge
ford; surgeon. DR.. j. S. Dorsey Cul-
len; assistant surgeon. Frank -. Cum
ninEham.
Tho band-Jamcs y. Smith. leader:
Jnmes VI. Melton, William Trcnier, J.
Adams. Lawrence and Philip Rosen-
berger. Richard Fox. Il. Emerson.
LII, Jnl,,, 4.
HirschberE. Charles Schuman and
JamcB Buckley.
The drum corpse. II. NJ. Pohle.
drum major: drummcrs. William Boil
ten. Frank BraDnan. George Burch.
Bladen. George ". Eubark, Benjamin
Doyle. Henry Hardesty. Fred Harris.
James Johnson. George King. Lewis
Levy. Thomas McDonouEh, James
O'Keefe. Joseph Shumaker. George
Smithers, Henry Solomon, George w.
Strange, William Street. Frank
Sweeney.
The old First has n history to be
proud Of; Bull Run was but tho first
leaf In It's laurel wreath.
In the battle of williamsburg, May
., 1862. the First captured wcbbers
New York Battery. the only guns
taken by the Confcderates in that
battle. At Seven Pines the First led
the charge made by the brigade
which captured the cnemys works;
at Fraz!er's Farm kemper's Brigade.
with the First. made history in that
wonderful charge through the brush
and swamp. reaching the encmy's
lines and Selling their batteries. They
were compelled. however. TO reiin-
quish them TO the enemy. who out
numbered them ten 10 one.
Second Manassas Fight.
Second Manassas came, and here
the First served under General Corse
and TO them fell the duty OF taking
and capturing the enemy's lines and
guns ut the Chinn house. There was
TO failure in this; the batteries were
taken and held. and here IL was that
Colonel Frederick q. Skinner, OF the
First, charged sinsly far 'ahcad of
the advancing lines into the firing
batteries. saberinG the cannoners at
/