Thinking that the roster of the original Howitzer Company, in its hurried and partial organization when it went to
Harper's Ferry to meet the invaders of
Virginia's sacred soil, under old
John Brown, would not only be interesting to the survivors, but to your many readers, I venture to enclose it to you. It is taken from a copy of the Richmond
Whig, dated November 22, 1859, and was furnished by the New York Historical Society and handed to me by
Mr. R. W. Royal of this city (who was a gallant member of Company I., Richmond Howitzers, during the war), to be turned over to the
Confederate Museum.
It will also prove highly interesting to follow the career of many of these gallant members during the war. The only officers the company had when it left
Richmond were the captain and orderly sergeant.
Afterwards,
John C. Shields, who went out in 1861 as captain of the First Company, but was promoted to
Colonel and assigned to command of Camp Lee, the fall of that year was elected
First Lieutenant, and
John Thompson Brown, who went out in 1861 as captain of the Second Company, and was promoted to
Colonel of Artillery, and fell on May 6, 1864, in the
Wilderness, was elected
Second Lieutenant.
The company on the
John Brown raid was armed as infantry with muskets.
Respectfully,
