Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 24.
Reverend J. William Jones, Ed.

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,