Evening star., 1947-05-18
By John cIoeett Proctor

- HE recent death OF WILL
liam r. Sinnott, a member OIL
the washington Light In-l
- fantry Corps, when that orr
ganization was In its heyday, car
ries the writer's mind back TO thel
days when this body Of Washing
toms finest paraded along Pennsyl-
vania avenue to the delight Of
thousands of Washingtonians and
visitors upon every occasion OF note
for many years. There can be but
very few members surviving today
who wore the uniform Of this pri-
vate soldier company and turned
cut with it upon every special occa-
sion, prior TO- the ushering IN OF the
present National Guard.
Although there were several early
private drill companies here, within
the recollection of many, yet it Is
quite likely that nearly every one
viii agree that the outstanding
organizations Of the city, during the
00s and COS, were the Washington
Light Infantry Corps and the Ma
tional Rifles, both Of which are now
only q pleasant recollection. Friends
socially, rivals and antagonists for
military honors, these two bodies OF
gentlemen soldiers will long be
recalled and fittingly praised by
those who knew them IN bygone
days, and when they were at the
zenith OF their glory.
Idols Of the Capital.
The Washington Light Infantry
Corps was the older OF these two
crack military organizations, the
idols OF the Nations Capital. The
pioneer Of these companies had Its
birth In 1886, just Ill years ago.
The exact day when 1t was first
organized as shown by the bylaws,
was August 81, 1886, and as indi-
Gated by the following item, copied
from the Metropolitan Of August 81
Of that year:
Washington Light Infantry.-A
company of soldiers has just been
organized In this city, to be denomi-
mated the Washington Light IN
fantry. We understood that the
number amounts at present to 40
members, vino are all of them gen.
tlemen of respectability and good
standing. This company will be
handsomely equipped and uni
formed, so as to make respectable
and soldierly-like appearance on
the 18th of September, when they
expect to meet and join their Balti-
more companions In arms. The fol-
lowing gentlemen have been elected
officials of the Washington Light
Infantry:
"A. B. Blake, captain.
Richard France, first heu-
tenant.
W. H. Mauro. second neuten-
ant.
"John Mills, third lieutenant"
First Parade.
The first public appearance of the
company was made on September
II following, when it paraded the
streets.
Unfortunately, the earlier records
OF this well-known organization
cannot be found, but the minutes of
the meeting OF March 8, 1910, and
many of those subsequent thereto,
are still available.
Perhaps the most interesting part
of the book of 1S4o is that giving a
list of some of the members and
their autographs, which begins the
volume. These are of special inn
portance to old District families,
since they are, in many instances,
the ancestors of great number Of
the present Washingtonians, who
will. no doubt, recognize their
names.
Old Family Names.
The first autograph in the book
Is that of Francis Lamb, and then
follow John w. Mead and James E..
Wise. Thomas w. Jones, William
Hebrund and Richard Brown are
listed under date of 1910, while un-
der 1841 appear the names John L..
Marll, Charles Roe, Francis A..
Dunn, Edward Doniphan, John w.
Joyce, William NOEL, Charles Ven-
cradle, Thomas Collins, Benjamin
B. Wright, William Morgan, Henry
G. Ruhl. James Gordon, Isaac Crog-
gon, william H. Clark, William H.
Baum, Abraham Cook, Thomas
Downey, John Bridget, Charles
Baum, James Y. Davis, William
Kidd and John Sanderson, who was
elected fifer of the company. {
Those whose signatures appear
under date of 1842 were: j. H.
Winn, Charles Kimbel, Christian
Weber, Philip Zimmerman, JOS
eph r. Massoleler, Thomas Sess-
ford, James E. Powers, Samuel Ben
ton, Andrew ]. Joyce, William Hill.
Marcellus Wilson and George Becker.
Nicholas I. Janderson signed in
1843 and the other signatures ap-
pearing that year include those of