Years ago there settled in the county of Hanover a Mr. James Ames and
Jane, his wife. They were very industrious, thrifty citizens. He had
purchased his farm through a real estate firm of Richmond, on the
terms of three equal payments. He paid promptly the first two, but six
months before the third one fell due, he found himself confronted with
unforeseen conditions: There had been a long, distressing drought,
which had cut short his crops, and one of his mules had broken his
leg, so that altogether he was in a sad state of mind. The third and
last installment on his farm was nearly due and his wife, who was a
sensible and practical woman, said to him, now let me see if I can
assist in this difficulty, to which he assented. Accordingly she went
to Richmond to the firm from which the farm was bought, with that
native dignity inherent to the country lady, and asked to see the head
of the firm, and was told that he was not in, being detained at his
home on account of sickness in his family, upon which she obtained the
address of his residence, where she went, and finding him, stated her
business. He told her that he was quite unfit to attend to any kind of
business by reason of his distress; whereupon she told him that she
was a skillful nurse, and that if he so desired it, she would remain
over in town a few days and would assist in nursing his sick family
that was suffering with measles, requiring constant, careful nursing.
Under her efficient attentions and skillful nursing they were finally
restored to health and to their normal condition. So he rode down to
his office with Mrs. Ames, and asking for the deed he marked the
balance due paid in full. It thus resulted that James obtained a clear
title to his farm through the cleverness of his good wife. Now what is
it that a good smart woman cannot accomplish?
A prominent, burning question of the day and time is that of woman
suffrage, and why not give them the right to vote? This is a day of
progress and change, and the right of females to exercise the
privilege of suffrage should be freely accorded the sex which has
really had a controlling influence in the affairs of mankind since the
day of Adam and Eve. Did she not, by means of her persuasive
arguments, induce, through mother Eve, the father of men, Adam, to eat
of the forbidden fruit? Woman has always been a beacon light to man in
guiding him in the paths of right and duty.
Yes, indeed, there are many worse things in human economy than woman
suffrage. So it is to be hoped that the next General Assembly of
Virginia may accede to the petitions presented them in advancing the
cause of equal suffrage. Woman is now the great propelling force of
the present age of political economy. They have always exercised the
right to vote, I believe, in choosing vestrymen of the church, and in
some school matters in some cities, and so why not give them the right
to participate in regular elections of State and municipal officers?
It is the inherent right or privilege of the sex to do as she pleases
or deserves, and there should be no law to prevent her exercising her
own sweet will in such matters. I believe women are possessed of as
much intelligence as men are, and in some respects they have more,
hence they should not be debarred from the polls in the general
elections of those who are to represent them, as well as men, in the
administration of everyday affairs. I should like to be a registrar of
precinct which numbered a large proportion of suffragettes. I would
not challenge the vote of a single one.
The Howitzer Association is formed of the surviving members of the
three companies, the first, the second and third. It has a reunion and
banquet on each thirteenth day of December, which is the anniversary
of the battle of Fredericksburg. A good supper is spread on that night
and many recollections of the great war are recalled and renewal of
fellowship and general intercourse is enjoyed, which cements the
attachments between each of the survivors of the three companies.
Alas! How sad to realize that so many of your comrades have passed
away.
In the voyage of life you sometimes meet persons, who say that they
wish to banish all reminder of the great war between the States, or as
we say, the Confederacy. Such people it might be properly asked, did
they fight so hard, and were they so zealous that they dislike to
revert to their prowess on the field of battle? Or did they shirk
their duty to their country so very adroitly that they hate to be
reminded of it? The true soldier of the Confederacy, the gallant boy
who shouldered a musket at the call to defend his home and fireside,
and who faithfully performed his duty, whether as a private or as an
officer, should have no desire to entirely wipe out of memory that
eventful period in his own history, and of his country that awful time
which tested the metal of which men were made, but he should wish
rather to have a full and correct account of that great conflict given
to the present and the future generations.
The majority of the survivors of the Confederate armies do not believe
that they ought to forget or erase from their minds all memory of the
battles of Sharpsburg or Antietam, of Spotsylvania Court House, of
Gettysburg, or of Chickamauga and Shiloh. I am at a loss to comprehend
from what basis these tender-nerved Confederates reason, and I reflect
that fortunately there exists but a few such among those who "wore the
gray."
In the days by-gone there lived in Richmond a prominent dealer in
horses and mules by the name of Benjamin Green, whose early career
began as a contractor, having built the bridge over the James River
for the railroad to Petersburg. His establishment was the largest
enterprise in the livestock line in Virginia. It was generally
conceded that any one who was so unfortunate as to have a transaction
with him was certain to be worsted, or at least to get the small end
of the trade. His intercourse with the farmers was very extensive and
it was said that any man who purchased an animal and threw himself
upon Green's honor in the transaction, never failed to obtain a fair,
square deal. In the other hand, if the purchaser relied upon his own
judgment of an animal he was very apt to get the worst of the bargain.
Ben Green was a smooth talker and a keen, first-class salesman. His
residence was a beautiful place about two or three miles west of the
city on the Broad Street Road, where he entertained his guests in a
sumptuous manner, and was looked upon as one of the most remarkable
men in the State.
Colonel Richard Adams was a prominent citizen of Richmond and was at
one time appointed high sheriff of Henrico county. At that time the
office was one of dignity and emolument, and it was one that was
frequently sublet to a second party, and such was the case with
Colonel Adams. He then boarded at the old Exchange Hotel when it was
kept by Colonel Boykin, he was a widower, being left with three
children at his wife's death. One of the latter was Mary Adams, who
married General George Randolph; another one, Catherine Adams, who
died while attending the school conducted by Mr. Le Febre, and a son
by the name of Samuel Adams, comprised his family. He was a life-long
friend of my father and his family and was a regular visitor of the
same. He was a great epicure and if any one knew what was good in the
way of living and the proper way to cook a choice cut of meat, he was
that man. When we lived in the country he often came out, and would
always forestall his coming by sending us a nice leg of mutton or
lamb, a nice tenderloin of beef, a roast of beef or a fine piece of
sturgeon. My mother, who was noted for her good housekeeping, always
directed the cooking of the particular dish which he sent out to us.
When it was placed upon the table, hot and juicy, the old gentleman
would exclaim that, "It is cooked and served up to a dot, it could not
be improved."
Colonel Adams was not what is known as a gourmand, but a high-toned
Virginian gentleman, who preferred the best meats to be obtained in
the markets, and prepared for the table in a manner that would cause
the smiles and approval of epicures. One day he was dining with a
friend whose custom was to invite his guest to join him in a toddy
before the dinner was announced. Well, as the gentlemen were standing
in front of the sideboard, their drinks were made of fine old Clemmer
Whiskey, five years old, oily and fragrant. Holding their glasses in
their hands, Mr. J---- commenced to tell an anecdote, but the suspense
becoming too great, the Colonel appealed to him to jump over the bars,
and not wait to pull them down, in other words to raze his story so as
to proceed with their drinking, which would serve to whet their
appetites for the good dinner awaiting their presence.
The First Baptist Church, which is situated on the corner of Broad and
Twelfth Streets, is one of the oldest ones in the City of Richmond. It
stands on the same ground it was built on nearly a century ago. Its
pulpit has been occupied by the most distinguished divines in the
Baptist denomination, such, for instance, as Doctor Broaddus, whose
reputation as a pulpit orator has rarely, if ever, been excelled,
Doctor Lansing Burrows, who was its pastor during the great war of
1861 to 1865 and after the same Doctor Cooper, whose ministration as
its pastor is held in kindest reverence and esteem by all who were
fortunate enough to be under his pastorate charge.
This congregation is now served by one of the most gifted clergymen in
the church to which he belongs, but also one of the most eloquent
pulpit orators in the South, namely, Doctor G. W. McDaniel. Were all
the reminiscences of this sacred and strong edifice written up in full
it would fill a volume.
A prominent representative of the female element of Richmond society
previous to the war was Mrs. Cora Ritchie Mowatt, a leader in the best
social circles. She was formerly an actress of distinction and of
excellent reputation. She had considerable literary ability and had
written a history of her life as an actress, entitled "An
Autobiography of An Actress." She afterwards married William F.
Ritchie, the editor of The Enquirer, the organ of the Democratic party
of the State of Virginia. This talented and popular lady was truly a
"beacon light" of the social and fashionable society of the time.
A GLEANING OF HISTORY.
After the war the present or junior company of Richmond Howitzers was
organized or formed. It is well officered, Captain Myers being its
commander, Lieutenant Pollard, first lieutenant, and Lieutenant Reese,
second lieutenant. Its commanders are young men of the first character
and material. The corps de esprit of the company is the highest order.
It has the advantage over the old company, in as much as its battery
and equipment is of the very latest or advanced excellence of modern
ordinance. It is an ornament to the military organization of the State
and city, and no doubt may be entertained that whenever an opportunity
is offered it will sustain the prestige of the old company. I do not
intend to say that the 1st, 2d and 3d companies of Howitzers were
superior to other artillery companies in the Army of Northern
Virginia, yet I do say that they were never placed in position in any
line of battle that they did not hold it until ordered out. The young
company is composed of the same kind of material, hence it may be
safely asserted that the junior organization will perpetuate the name
and prestige of the old company. At the reunion of the Howitzers
Association, on the 13th of December, the junior company are always
welcomed guests.
From 1861 to 1862 the army of the Confederacy was under the control of
the several States composing the Confederacy on the peninsula. A
reorganization of the army occurred and the troops of the separate
States were turned over to the Confederate government and enlisted for
the war. New officers were elected and an entire change made in
reforming the Confederate Army. The name was then changed from Army of
the Potomac to Army of Northern Virginia.
One of the most unique men Virginia ever produced was Captain George
Randolph, who was Secretary of War of the Confederate States. He
organized the First Company of Richmond Howitzers; he had been in some
way connected with the United States Navy and he conceived the idea of
equipping the company with boat Howitzers with a long trail attached
to the piece and drawn by the cannoneers. This plan was abandoned and
the pieces were mounted on light carriages and drawn by two horses.
Captain Randolph was a lineal descendant of Thomas Jefferson and a man
of striking personality; in physique he was tall and slender, with
high cheek bones, with an eye as clear seeing as an eagle. In social
intercourse he was rather reticent, though true as steel; he was a
Democrat and ardent advocate of the rights of the South. At this time
no Democrat received any political preferment in Richmond, yet when
they were casting around for the ablest and best men to send to the
Secession Convention party lines were ignored and he was elected a
member, and a wise choice it was. His speeches and debates were among
the ablest, emanating from that group of forensic and intellectual
giants. Upon the secession of Virginia he donned his artillery uniform
and concentrated all his force and energy in organizing the Howitzers
Battalion consisting of the first, second and third companies. He was
made Major. John C. Shields, captain 1st Company; J. Thompson Brown,
captain 2d Company; Robert Standard, captain 3d Company. Major
Randolph, with second and third companies was sent to the peninsula
under General McGruder. The first company was sent to Manassas under
General Beauregard, thus forming a part of the army of the Potomac.
After the lapse of time Mr. Davis realizing the brilliant qualities of
Major Randolph, appointed him Secretary of War. Yet the ailment that
he had long suffered with caused him to resign and in quest of
alleviation of his suffering he took passage on a blockade runner and
died abroad. Mr. Seddon succeeded him as Secretary of War of the
Confederate States. General Randolph's name is held in high esteem by
all who admire a high type of manhood and knightly bearing.
Captain Meriweather Lewis Anderson was mustered into the service of
the State of Virginia at the commencement of the Confederate War as
orderly sergeant of the First Company of Richmond Howitzers.
Subsequently he was elected lieutenant when Captain E. S. McCarthy was
killed at second Cold Harbor. He, by seniority of rank, became captain
of the company. No braver officer ever buckled saber around his waist
than this gallant Confederate soldier. He was with the company in
nearly every battle it engaged or participated in.
The record that Captain Anderson left is bright as the finest damascus
blade. He has passed to the other side of the river, and may his
memory be cherished by all who honor indomitable courage and devotion
to the lost cause.
During the war my company, the First Howitzers Camp, was surrounded by
infantry regiments; it was in the fall of the year hostilities had
ceased, so a couple of cannoneers and myself took a walk for
recreation and to see what was going on. We came to an infantry
regiment going through dress parade. It was a novel sight. The colonel
had an old cavalry sword attached to a surcingle thrown over his
shoulders. The officers wore similar side arms. The adjutant used a
ram-rod for a sword; he formed the regiment and presented it to the
colonel. The company officers marched forward and gave the customary
salute when the colonel put the regiment through a few evolutions and
disbanded. It was one of the best fighting regiments in the army, yet
paid little attention to the formula of show on dress parade, but when
charging the enemy or holding their position in line of battle they
were all right.