From the Richmond Whig, 1/9/1866, p. 3, c. 1

THE PUBLIC GUARD. – This institution has been recently re-organized, to a certain extent, by the Legislature of the State, with the view of guarding the Penitentiary, the Capitol Square, and the Armory, when we have one. The order of the General Assembly is, that a captain and lieutenant be appointed, with the same pay they had before the war, and thirty privates at two dollars per day – the Governor being authorized, out of any moneys in the treasury not otherwise appropriated, to purchase arms and ammunition.

By a most stupid and ill-advised arrangement, before the war, the captain and other commissioned officers of the public guard were made superintendents of the Armory, and therefor received a compensation handsome in its amount, but utterly unearned by them; but when war broke out, or rather before it broke out, an ordnance department was organized by the State, and during the whole war a gentleman connected now with the WHIG office was chief executive officer of the Armory, and on the night of the evacuation of the city, he and Captain Gay followed the fortunes of the State. If the State Legislature is disposed to re-organize its old institutions, we know none to whom they can go for information except the old adjutant-general of the State, and the only ordinance officer of the State who followed the Virginia flag until it went under, as above mentioned.

Go to top