A Historical flag. [from the Richmond Enquirer, September 16, 1862.]
The Winder cavalry.
The gallant company of Marylanders, commanded by Captain William I. Rasin, has just been presented with a beautiful flag by the ladies of Kent county, Maryland, from which county many of the company have come to the Confederate service. The flag is a perfect bijou, almost too fine for our rough-and-ready cavalry. It displays the old Confederate colors—red, white, and red—dear to the hearts of true Maryland women. The union shown on one side the arms of Maryland; on the other a blue field with eleven golden stars and the legend, ‘Hope is Our Watchword and Truth our Guiding Star.’ It is richly ornamented with bullion fringe and tassels, and bears upon a silver plate on the flagstaff the inscription: ‘Presented to (the Winder cavalry), Company E, First Maryland cavalry, Confederate States of America, Captain William I. Rasin commanding, by the ladies of Kent county, Maryland. May its crimson folds burn [248] fiercely through the storm of battle, till the brave men who bear it can wave it triumphantly over Kent county, Maryland.’ For over twenty-two years this flag was folded away carefully by one of Virginia's daughters in Maryland, and yesterday one of the few survivors of Company E, Corporal George T. Hollyday, bore its folds proudly aloft through the streets of Richmond as one of the Maryland Line here to honor the memory of Virginia's great soldier, R. E. Lee. To the care and custody of James R. Wheeler and George T. Hollyday, both surviving members of this gallant company of Maryland cavalrymen, this relic of the past, valued beyond all measure, has been intrusted. This company was engaged in the last charge made by any portion of the Army of Northern Virginia at Appomattox Courthouse, Sunday, April 9, 1865.Removal of the statue from the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad, May 7th, 1890.
The demonstration of the people of Richmond on the afternoon of Monday, May 7, 1890, was a most touching exhibition of reverence and affection. It was a self-honoring expression, in that it was a testimonial to the noble, pure and gentle in human nature, as impressed by grand example and held by instinctive impulse. No one may say that a single blemish dulled the pure and devoted life of Robert E. Lee, the leader of the heroic armies of the South in a struggle for life, right and fireside; and when the unequal struggle had failed, the consecrated educator of the youth of his prostrated people. A simple announcement of the press that the statue of the beloved commander would be removed from the cars on the track of the Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac railroad, at the head of Broad street, to its destined site, convoked on the afternoon of the bright May day a dense throng in our broadest thoroughfare, which extended from about the sacred objects through many squares within the city. It was a mass of both sexes, representing every age and condition. Woman was probably in the majority—grand-mother, mother, maiden, children by the hand, infant in the arms—all with flushed cheeks and warm eyes. The crowd had begun to assemble before 3 o'clock, by 4:30 o'clock it was a mass more than a half a mile in extent. The street was packed, windows and balconies were thronged, housetops were covered.[249]
Washington and Lee.
When Washington's statue arrived here from Munich, in 1858, it was placed upon a great wagon to which a large number of horses and mules were attached. They, however, didn't ‘pull together.’ Hence the progress was poor. At times they threatened to come to a full stop. It was then, responding to the popular enthusiasm and demand, that the draught-animals were taken away and ropes affixed to the vehicle, and with men and boys to man them the colossal statue (all of it except the tail in one piece) was easily, gracefully, and expeditiously hauled up the steep grade of Main street, up the steeper one of Ninth street, and around to Capitol street opposite the pedestal. Here a portion of the iron fence had been taken down, and the statue was through this opening drawn into proper position alongside the monument. This was the precedent followed on this occasion—with these exceptions: There never was any idea or suggestion to use horses or mules to draw Lee's statue; it was determined not only to have the ropes ‘manned’ with men and boys, but with ladies and girls also, and instead of one wagon there were to be four—one for each box in which the portions of the statue came from Paris.The leaders.
The people began to look for leaders in this undertaking, and there seemed to be none forthcoming, until Lee Camp about May 1st appointed a special committee to procure the assent of the Lee Monument Association and proceed to head the movement. All the details were arranged by them. The statue arrived here from New York Sunday. Monday and Tuesday the four boxes were taken from the two flat-cars on which they came, and were shifted therefrom upon immense wagons or trucks—wagons that are generally employed to move heavy iron safes, boilers, etc., etc. These wagons were decorated and long ropes were fixed to the tongues, cross-trees and axles. All that was now wanting was for the people to come forward and seize the ropes and wait for the word of command, ‘Forward!’ to be given by Chief-Marshal Thomas A. Brander.[250]
The decorations.
All of the boxes were concealed by drapery. The Confederate colors were omnipresent except where space was found for Virginia's flag and coat-of-arms. Box No. I in the procession was about eighteen feet long, seven feet high and six feet broad. It contained the horse's body (the largest piece), and weighed about 12,000 pounds. Wagon and load weighed 18,000 pounds. On the front of this box was quite a good oil print of General Lee on horseback, with his head bare and hat in hand. Confederate battle-flags, stars and bars and the Virginia colors floated from the front and rear and from the sides, while numbers of little banners depended from the summit of this great box, inscribed ‘our Com-Mander, R. E. Lee,’ and containing a print of him. To this wagon, as to each of the other three wagons, four long ropes were affixed. Altogether there was a mile of rope.Three other boxes.
Wagon No. 2 in the procession bore the bronze platform which will cap the granite pedestal, and into which the horse's hoofs will be riveted. No. 3 was ladened with the case containing the horse's legs. Upon the front of this case another picture of Lee was displayed. No. 4 wagon contained the head and body and sword of Lee. All these boxes, and such portions of the wagons as could be thus dressed, were begirt with Confederate bunting tastefully arranged. Altogether, the wagons and boxes presented a showy appearance.The start.
The hour fixed for the moving of the statue was 5 P. M. The place of rendezvous for the persons proposing to take part was on Broad street near Laurel—just a little west of where the horse-cars turn from Broad going towards Monroe Park—close to where the wagons were standing. The young folks were very impatient for a start to be made. They and their elders had seized every inch of rope before 5 o'clock, and such was their jubilant mood they several times threatened to start off before the word was given.[251]
Promptness.
Upon the stroke of 5 o'clock the command ‘Forward, march!’ was given, the band struck up a lively tune, cheers stirred the air, and off the patriotic pullers went. At this time there were about one hundred school girls clinging to the ropes of No. 3 wagon. The men and boys could only be numbered by thousands. Some of these stuck to their posts to the end; others soon dropped out and gave places to other eager aspirants. The heaviest wagon was drawn with ease. Only the slightest touch of the ropes were required, so great was the number of people pulling.Police to the front.
The procession was headed by a platoon of twelve police, including Captain E. P. Hulce, who was in command. There were also several policemen with each wagon to prevent depredations and meet any emergency that might arise, and others still were further back in the column. Altogether there were thirty of the one hundred members of the force assigned to duty in connection with moving the statue, and Major Poe, the chief, was an interested spectator of the entire demonstration. He was accompanied by Mrs. Poe.The marshals.
Next came Major Thomas A. Brander, the chief marshal (to whose efforts are largely due the perfect success of the undertaking,) and his fourteen aides (mounted). The aides were Messrs. George A. Smith, J. H. Kracke, E. W. Martin, B. M. Batkins, J. W. D. Farrar, M. T. Phillips, D. H. Pyle, F. A. Bowry, Andrew N. Gill, Captain John A. Booker, J. T. Ferriter, George C. Mountcastle, D. W. Bowles, and Captain Charles H. Epps. These gentlemen were splendidly mounted, and all wore the Lee Camp uniform. Mr. Mountcastle is one of the largest men in Richmond, and is a striking figure on horseback. He is very generally known, everybody likes him, and he received many good-natured salutations.[252]
