Page:Southern Historical Society Papers volume 34.djvu/157

 Shaft to Historic Old Portsmouth Artillery. 149

The officers of the Portsmouth Light Artillery Monument Asso- ciation are Captain John H. Thompson, president; M. W. Allen, secretary; Wilson B. Lynch, treasurer.

Music Committee Mrs. J. Griff. Edwards.

Unveiling Committee Misses Annie Emmerson and Palmetto Grimes.

Chief Marshal F. J. Nicholson.

Monument Acceptance Committee Mrs. E. N. Neely, Mrs. Beulah Lynch Cross, Mrs. C. W. Walker, Miss Alex. Shannon, Mrs. Alice Parrish, Miss Harriet Williams, Mrs. R. E. Crump and Mrs. W. H. Stewart.

Stage Decoration Committee Mrs. Paul C. Trugien, Mrs. J. W. H. Porter, Mrs. F. S. Hope, Misses Cressie Schroeder and Jennie Shea.

Invitation Committee Captain John H. Thompson, M. W. Allen and Wilson B. Lynch.

Grand Stand Committee Samuel J. Newby, John Wilson and John W. Wood.

Historical Address of the Former Commander of Grimes

Battery.

Fellow Citizens of Portsmouth:

The Confederate veterans of the Portsmouth Light Artillery Company, who have survived the Civil War and lived to see this day, are deeply thankful to the people of Portsmouth for this mon- ument, to the erection of which the good men and women have freely and generously contributed.

My comrades and I desire to make public acknowledgement of our gratitude to the contributors.

We have made research as far as possible, and have ascertained that this company was organized on the I4th day of August, 1809, under Capt. Arthur Emmerson, who was commissioned by the first Governor Tyler of Virginia. All the officers and soldiers who fought at Craney Island on the 22d day of June, 1813, are inscribed on the north face of this shaft.

The next commander of whom we find any record is Capt. T. B. Beaton, in 1827. He was succeeded by Capt. Charles Cassell, who remained at its head until 1840, when he was succeeded by Capt.