The soldiers' Home, Richmond, Virginia. The origin and history of this noble institution. The roll of inmates.
Some of its Benefactors—its several Buildings—The Management—Legis— lative appropriations.[From the Richmond Dispatch, November 27, 1892.] In none of her monuments erected since the war, more than in Lee Camp Soldiers' Home, does Virginia teach the reverence she bears those who stood by her in her hour of sorest trial. None of her monuments speak more eloquently of the cause for which so many of the flower of the South laid down their lives; none of them appeal more powerfully to the generation now upon the stage to cherish the memory of the deeds and sacrifices of their fathers. The Home is now in better condition financially and in respect of accommodations than it has been since its establishment, and to-day is fulfilling its noble mission more thoroughly than it has ever done. But that is not saying that it is compassing its sphere of possible usefulness. The calculation is that within the next quarter of a century most of the youngest of those who served in the Confederate army will have answered the last roll-call and grounded their arms in the citadel of graves. Yet within the next ten or twelve years the numbers whom exposure and wounds will have incapacitated for work will materially increase, and it follows that any further donations to, or enlargement of the facilities of the Home would be in the line of patriotic duty.
History of the Home.
The inception of the Home and the inception of Lee Camp Confederate Veterans are coeval and their histories run parallel. In March, 1883, seven gentlemen met in this city and informally talked over the matter of raising funds to support a few disabled Confederate veterans whose condition had been brought to their attention. [316] They decided to put an advertisement in the city papers calling upon all Confederate veterans who felt an interest in the matter to assemble on April the 18th following. To this call thirty-eight men responded, and then and there organized Lee Camp, No. 1, Confederate Veterans. The purpose for which the camp was organized was to take care of needy ex-Confederate soldiers, and no time was lost in giving this purpose practical shape. Captain Charles U. Williams was elected first commander of the camp. In May, 1883, a bazaar was held in the armory with Mrs. Lewis N. Webb as manager, assisted by about one hundred other ladies, and Colonel H. C. Jones, N. V. Randolph and Colonel J. B. Purcell as a committee from the camp. This enterprise was kept open for nineteen nights and netted $24,000.The Home opened.
On the 12th of November, 1884, the Home property, consisting of thirty-six acres and an old house, was purchased for $14,000, and on January 1, 1885, the institution was opened, the first inmate being a Mississippi man. Soon thereafter Mr. Robert I. Fleming, of Washington, at a cost of $2,500, enlarged, improved and remodelled the building on the grounds, and gradually handsome and commodious cottages were built and donated to the Home by Major Lewis Ginter, Hon. W. W. Corcoran, of Washington, Captain A. G. Babcock, Mr. Mark Downey, Mr. James B. Pace, Mr. W. H. Appleton, of New York, and the children of ex-Governor William Smith. In 1888 the board raised by private subscription from the people of Richmond about $5,000, with which they built and furnished the picturesque and and handsome Home chapel. The additional buildings erected by the board, including the mess hall, stable, &c., and the hospital, which last-named was completed this year, cost $35,000.Situation and surroundings.
The Soldiers' Home is one of the most attractive places about Richmond, and in the summer it is a favorite drive. Located in a grove of original growth, it is, from the road, the picture of restfulness and peace. The cottages and chapel are to the left of the main building as one approaches, and the new hospital to the right, and everything is as neat as a pin. On a nearer inspection, however, the [317] frowning guns upon the lawn and the maimed and battle-scarred veterans carry one back to anything but a scene of peace. Many of the inmates are totally disabled for work of any sort, and all they can do is to fight their battles over. They staked all on the South's great issue and lost all save life. Those who are able to perform physical labor police the grounds and wait upon the sick in the hospital. The entire premises are regularly inspected twice a week. Since the establishment of the Home it has cared for 484 veterans. In addition to Virginians there have been on the rolls: From New Jersey, 1; South Carolina, 7; Georgia, 2; West Virginia, 5; District of Columbia, 2; Maryland, 3; North Carolina, 5; Florida, 1; Alabama, I; Tennessee, 1; Texas, 1, and Mississippi, 1. As may well be imagined, the number of deaths in proportion to the inmates has been very large.The present roll.
The present roll embraces one hundred and sixty-six men, and the dates of their admission, their names, and their commands are as follows: November 22, 1887, William Aldridge, E, Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. March 22, 1890, William J. Atkinson, Second Houston. July 26, 1890, R. A. Atkinson, A, Home Guards. October 2, 1890, Luther R. Ashby, A, Seventeenth Virginia Cavalry. May 13, 1886, Charles W. Bingley, K, Sixth South Carolina Infantry. August 3, 1886, George Berry, Courtney Battery. November 10, 1887, Adam Bodell, G, Thirty-third Virginia Infantry. June 19, 1888, J. G. Baker, I, Sixth Virginia Infantry. August 11, 1888, Ignatz Brecheisin, Johnson Battery. August 15, 1888, Quinfree Bradley, E, Eleventh Virginia Infantry. August 29, 1888, John M. Brumfield, Fayette Artillery. August 10, 1889, R. S. Baldwin, Hospital service. July 29, 1892, R. H. Buchanan, C, Sixth Virginia Infantry. August 19, 1892, Robert Banks, D, Sixth Virginia Infantry. June 22, 1885, John H. Conley, G, Eleventh Virginia Infantry. [318] August 8, 1885, Thomas V. Carr, C, First Virginia Infantry. May 25, 1886, Frank Carr, Confederates States steamer Patrick Henry. March 3, 1887, P. R. Cunningham, H, Fifty-eight Virginia Infantry. November 24, 1887, Robert G. Carrington, A, Fourth Virginia Infantry. October 28, 1888, Charles W. Cooper, S, Fifth Virginia Infantry. January 8, 1889, Z. T. Curlew, B. Sixty-first Virginia Infantry. August 7, 1889, I. G. Crews, F, Eleventh Virginia Infantry. March 14, 1890, John Carhoni, A, Eighteenth Virginia Infantry. April 29, 1890, W. W. Caldwell, C, Twelfth Virginia Infantry. August 15, 1892, George B. Carrington, D, Nineteenth Virginia Infantry. May 25, 1886, Andrew J. Dobbs, H, Twelfth Virginia Infantry. March 16, 1887, Charles C. Been, C, Second Virginia Infantry. February 17, 1888, Andrew Donnally, Greenbrier Cavalry. December I, 1891, Thomas Dunn, D, First Virginia Battalion of Infantry. July 5, 1891, Nat. G. Dickinson, D, Fourteenth Virginia Infantry. August 27, 1891, C. A. Dupriest, Lunenburg Artillery. July 18, 1885, W. F. Eads, G, Forty-ninth Virginia Infantry. July 6, 1888, Joseph Edelin, H, Seventh Virginia Infantry. August 13, 1889, B. F. Eckles, A, Twelfth Virginia Infantry. March 30, 1892, Luc. W. Edloe, Selden's Battery. November 3, 1889, W. S. Forester, K, Fifty-fifth Virginia Infantry. August 9, 1892, J. Ferneyhough, F, Thirteenth Virginia Infantry. September 24, 1888, Harrison Groves, I, Twenty-seventh Virginia Infantry. July 28, 1890, D. S. Godsey, D, Twenty-first Virginia Infantry. October 26, 1890, James M. Guest, D, Fifteenth Virginia Infantry. November 22, 1890, William J. Goodwin, B, Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. July 16, 1891, Hobson C. Goodman, Stuart Horse Artillery. March 16, 1892, L. J. B. Godwin, F, Ninth Virginia Infantry. June 16, 1892, William P. Green, B, Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. June 3, 1885, Charles A. Henry, C, Twenty-second Virginia Infantry. December 19, 1888, Wash. S. Heath, Fayette Artillery. [319] May 7, 1891, James E. Heath, F, Fourteenth Virginia Infantry. July 28, 1891, Richard Harding, A, Thirty-fifth Virginia Cavalry. March 14, 1892, Samuel L. Holden, C, First Virginia Cavalry. July 21, 1892, Alpheus H. Hobbs, K, Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. July 12, 1886, Alvin L. Jude, A, Fifteenth Virginia Infantry. August 3, 1889, Henry Jones, Dance's Battery. March 23, 1892, Stephen C. James, Purcell Battery. August 10, 1892, Charles R. Jones, C, Fifteenth Virginia Infantry. November 20, 1885, F. Miaskoski, Able's Florida Battery. July 5, 1886, L. S. King, H, Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. October 29, 1891, John E. Kennedy, H, Fourteenth Virginia Infantry. August 26, 1892, Dennis Kelley, D, Fourth Virginia Cavalry. August 1, 1887, William M. Lawson, H, First Virginia Infantry. March 7, 1889, William A. Lewis, Grimes's Battery. August 3, 1889, William T. Lewis, First Company Howitzers. January 11, 1890, Joseph Landrum, G, Twenty-sixth Virginia Infantry. January 20, 1890, Robert H. Leadbetter, Rantaub's Battery. October 14, 1890, Reuben W. Long, Johnson's Battery. May 11, 1891, Lem. R. Lansford, F, Sixteenth Virginia Infantry. October 27, 1891, W. S. Sayard, G, First Virginia Infantry. March 14, 1892, Joseph W. Little, I, Eighteenth Mississippi Infantry. March 14, 1892, John F. Lay, Confederate Cavalry. March 16, 1892, John H. Lentz, E, First Virginia Battalion Infantry. March 18, 1892, J. W. Lawson, B, Second Virginia Cavalry. August 15, 1892, Austin C. Lipscombe, Fayette Artillery. August 19, 1892, Robert R. Lewis, Heavy Artillery. August 24, 1892, Henry D. Logan, Moorman's Horse Artillery. August 30, 1892, A. B. Lewis, B, Twenty-fourth Virginia Cavalry. October 1, 1892, W. H. Lewis, C, Thirty-eighth Virginia Infantry. October 27, 1892, Robert W. Lilleston, C, Sixth Virginia Infantry. November 18, 1892, Charles Layton, Confederate States Navy. August 1, 1886, George T. Mears, H, Sixty-first Virginia Infantry. December 30, 1887, James McLaren, E, Fifty-sixth Virginia Infantry. [320] April 3, 1889, Daniel Martin, C, Forty-fourth Virginia Infantry. July 20, 1889, W. A. Meanley, A, Archer's Battalion of Infantry. July 20, 1890, John A. McLean, E, Sixty-first Virginia Infantry. October 1, 1891, S. P. Moseley, E, Twenty-first Virginia Infantry. November 20, 1891, J. W. Mitchell, I, Forty-eighth Virginia Infantry. March 9, 1892, George S. Millan, D, Seventeenth Virginia Infantry. July 16, 1892, John McGowan, C, First Virginia Infantry. July 20, 1892, Jesse McLain, I, Fifty-eighth Virginia Infantry. August 5, 1892, Robert McIntire, Pegram's Battery. September 28, 1892, Jesse S. Markham, Botetourt Battery. September 28, 1892, J, M. P. Marable, Twentieth Virginia Infantry. May 23, 1887, S. S. Neale, I, First Virginia Infantry. June 19, 1887, R. F. Noel, C, Forty-fourth Virginia Infantry. December 25, 1891, Thomas R. Neale, D, Thirty-sixth Virginia Battalion of Cavalry. August 1, 1892, Ludwig Noswitz, K, Fifteenth Virginia Infantry. August 25, 1892, Thomas B. Nolan, E, Third Virginia Infantry. August 19, 1886, William O'Brien, Carter's Battery. August 27, 1888, J. J. O'Neil, G, Eighteenth Virginia Infantry. July 18, 1889, W. C. Orbison, A, Sixth Louisiana Infantry. July 2, 1890, C. W. Ottman, A, Fifth Louisiana Infantry. June 27, 1892, Walton Obenshain, I, Eleventh Virginia Infantry. November 11, 1892, Dannis O'Hare, A, Tenth Virginia Battalion of Infantry. November 23, 1892, John O'Roark, Rice's Battery. September 22, 1886, James F. Padgett, A, Twenty-fourth Virginia Cavalry. November 29, 1888, Charles W. Perkins, Parker's Battery. July 24, 1889, Patrick Perry, C, Heavy Artillery. January 30, 1890, E. F. Partram, I, Fourteenth Virginia Infantry. November 13, 1890, John T. Pegram, Eppes's Company. November 2, 1891, Thomas W. Pinchback, B, First Virginia Infantry. November 23, 1892, William E. Perley, A, Nineteenth Virginia Infantry. November 12, 1891, Patrick Powers, C, First Virginia Battalion of Infantry. December 10, 1891, M. B. Portiaux, Assistant-Quartermaster. [321] June 15, 1892, A. J. Perdue, Fayette Artillery. November 20, 1892, Joel L. Preston, A, Fifty-eighth Virginia Infantry. September 19, 1889, William H. Quinn, E, Second Virginia Cavalry. April 10, 1885, C. Roach, Lee Battery. April 27, 1886, L. D. Robinson, F, Fifth Virginia Cavalry. May 11, 1886, William Rowles, Johnson's Battery. September 21, 1886, John Raines, I, Thirtieth Virginia Infantry. June 24, 1889, Albert G. Robertson, Heavy Artillery. May 15, 1891, John L. Reid, surgeon Confederate States Army. December 19, 1891, Samuel Rutherford, B, Thirty-sixth Virginia Infantry. October 21, 1891, Thomas Rudd, E, Thirty-second Virginia Infantry. July 29, 1892, John A. Rossen, A, Forty-third Virginia Battalion Cavalry. July 18, 1885, John Shelton, Pegram's Artillery. August 25, 1885, Edward Sweeney, D, Fourteenth Tennessee Infantry. September 15, 1885, F. C. Stainback, A, Twelfth Virginia Infantry. December 9, 1885, Elijah Smith, I, Third Virginia Cavalry. June 5, 1886, Samuel Stott, A, Sixth Virginia Infantry. June 27, 1886, F. W. Simmons, F, Thirteenth Virginia Cavalry. December 21, 1886, Samuel G. Street, C, Tenth Virginia Battalion Heavy Artillery. December 21, 1888, A. E. Sergeant, D, Twenty-third Virginia Infantry. November 23, 1889, T. A. St. Clair, E, Third Virginia Battallion Infantry. January 18, 1890, Emil Scholl, Letcher Battery. July 28, 1890, D. W. Stratton, B, Fourth Virginia Cavalry. October 20, 1890, H. A. Shifflett, Dance's Battery. November 15, 1890, John W. Satchfield, Pegram's Battery. October 30, 1891, Nathan L. Smith, A, Fifty-seventh Virginia Infantry. April 30, 1892, John C. Sutton, Fayette Artillery. May 26, 1892, P. P. Slaughter, fourth colonel Fifty-sixth Virginia Infantry. [322] July 16, 1892, W. Brooke Smith, Assistant-Quartermaster. November 11, 1892, Edward E. Savage, Carter's Battery. September 21, 1885, W. M. Taliaferro, E, Second Virginia Cavalry. November 2, 1887, W. B. Taliaferro, H, Fifth Virginia Infantry. October 15, 1887, Peter Taft, Confederate States Navy. July 26, 1888, James M. Taylor, D, Sixth Virginia Infantry. July 25, 1891, Thomas Taylor, E, Forty-seventh Virginia. June 25, 1882, George N. Trimyer, G, Fifty-fifth Virginia Infantry. August 19, 1892, E. B. Tucker, D, Fifty-third Virginia Infantry. January 18, 1888, Joseph M. White, Morris's Artillery. April 26, 1886, George W. Wynne, C, Twelfth Virginia Infantry. May 18, 1886, H. C. Willis, B, Twenty-fifth North Carolina Infantry. May 27, 1887, John E. Warthen, D, Fifty-ninth Virginia Infantry. December 20, 1887, W. R. Williams, C, Twelfth Virginia Infantry. December 29, 1888, T. P. Walden, F, Twenty-fifth Virginia Battalion Cavalry. September 13, 1889, Edward Williams, Confederate States Navy. October 25, 1890, E. G. Wall, D, Eighteenth Virginia Infantry. November 9, 1891, Wilson White, F, Third Virginia Infantry. November 17, 1891, James W. Wall, C, Thirty-sixth Virginia Infantry. December 6, 1891, A. W. Winston, C, Seventh Virginia Infantry. May 28, 1892, W. E. Wilbourne, C, Fifty-third Virginia Infantry. At the last meeting of the board seven applications were approved, thus filling up all the present available space in the Home. The board, however, hopes in a few months to have accommodations for two hundred and fifty inmates.The Management.
The affairs of the Home are administered by a Board of Visitors elected by Lee Camp, to which are added the Governor, the State Treasurer, the Auditor of Public Accounts and the Judge of the Circuit Court of Richmond. The first president of the board was Captain Charles U. Williams, and the first Executive Committee consisted of N. V. Randolph, Colonel J. B. Purcell, and Colonel Henry C. Jones. Captain Williams resigned after serving about a [323] year, and General Fitzhugh Lee succeeded him. General Lee retired about a year before his term as Governor expired, was succeeded by General John R. Cooke, who served until the time of his death, and the next president was Mr. N. V. Randolph, the incumbent. The present board is as follows: Major N. V. Randolph, president; Lieutenant-Colonel A. L. Phillips, first vice-president; Major T. A. Brander, second vice-president; James B. Pace (president Planters National Bank), treasurer; Captain J. W. Pegram, secretary; Governor P. W. McKinney, A. W. Harman, Colonel Morton Marye, Judge Beverley R. Wellford, Colonel H. C. Jones, General W. H. Payne, Joseph W. Thomas, Colonel Archer Anderson, Major Lewis Ginter, Captain John Maxwell, Joseph B. McKenney, Judge E. C. Minor, Colonel John Murphy, Colonel J. W. White, James T. Gray, Colonel E. P. Reeve, Colonel Hugh R. Smith, Major W. A. Smoot, Captain Washington Taylor, Colonel J. H. Hume, Portsmouth; Colonel D. M. Lee, Fredericksburg; Captain R. M. Booker, Hampton, Virginia; Colonel Alexander W. Archer. Executive Committee: Major T. A. Brander, Colonel John Murphy, Joseph W. Thomas.General W. R. Terry.
For some months after the opening of the Home the direct executive officer was Captain James Pollard, the present adjutant. In the latter part of 1885 General William R. Terry was elected superintendent, and has held that position ever since, but on the 8th of November, 1892, owing to physical infirmities resulting from wounds received during the war, tendered his resignation, to take effect January 1st next. General Terry was one of the most gallant officers in the Confederate army. He was born in Liberty, Virginia, in 1827 and educated at the Virginia Military Institute. At the breaking out of the war he entered the service as captain of cavalry, but was soon thereafter promoted to the colonelcy of the Twenty-fourth Virginia regiment. In May, 1864, he was made a brigadier-general and was assigned to the command of Kemper's brigade, the former commander having been desperately and permanently disabled at Gettysburg.[324]
