Charleston Daily Mail
Memory Of Kanawha Riflemen Perpetuated
Simple Service Marks Unveiling of Bronze Tablet in Park to Confederates
W. E. Chilton Is Speaker
June 4, 1922
The memory of 100 men of the Kanawha valley, members of the Kanawha riflemen of the civil war, was perpetuated when a bronze tablet was unveiled yesterday afternoon in Kanawha park. The tablet is set in a marble memorial, in the form of an exedra, erected by the Kanawha riflemen chapter, Daughters of the Confederacy with funds obtained a number of years ago.
About 100 men and women, among them a few Confederate veterans and wives of veterans and many descendants of the soldiers of the lost cause attended the ceremonies. Several of the veterans were there in uniform. But of that little band of 100 men, there was none present. Indeed, only three remain – Henry D. Ruffner, J. Alliene Broun and Robert McClelland.
The simple services were asked by the Rev. Ernest Thompson, D. D., pastor of the First Presbyterian church, there was an address by W. E. Chilton, wreaths were placed upon the memorial and the tablet was unveiled, disclosing the 100 names – surnames which today are prominent in Charleston.
“We now see in the perspective of 61 years of time,” Mr. Chilton said, speaking of the war between states. “Things look different to us now than they did then. We see now how necessary is this united country under one flag.”
Who, Mr. Chilton asked, could call a man a traitor because he offered his life for his opinion? Long ago, he said, the word “traitor” has been separated from Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and the other great generals of the Confederacy.
Several times Mr. Chilton quoted Abraham Lincoln and again he spoke of the French revolution and compared it to the situation in our own country.
The Kanawha riflemen were organized in 1856 for protective measures, as there was then no state guard or state police. There was a second organization in 1858 and a third in 1861, when the riflemen took up their rifles and marched away to join the Confederate army.
The tablet was unveiled by E. Fontaine Broun, Jr., grandson of Major Thomas L. Broun, and Margaret Ruffner Earwood, great granddaughter of Captain David L. Ruffner. The inscription reads:
Then follows a list of the names:
First organization of the company 1856:
Capt. George S. Patton.
First Lieut., Andrew Moore.
Second Lieut., Nicholas Fitzhugh.
Third Lieut., Henry D. Ruffner.
Second organization 1858:
Capt. David L. Ruffner.
First Lieut., Richard Q. Laidley.
Second Lieut., Gay Carr.
Third Lieut., Alanson Arnold.
Non-commissioned officers and privates:
E. S. Arnold, Norman Barton, Charles Blaine, Martin Boswell, J. T. Bredt, Henry Bradford, W. B. Brooks, Thos. L. Broun, Jo. M. Broun, J. Alliene Brown, H. Clay Cabell, William Caldwell, John O. Carr, John Chambers, Charles Chewning, A. Q. Clarkson, Walton Cook, Frank Cox, William Cushman, J. E. Doddridge, Jr., Philip Doddridge, M. F. DeGruyter, James H. Fry, Jr., Thos. T. Grant, John P. Hale, Carroll M. Hansford, Robert Hare, J. Hopkins, James F. Lewis.
Joel S. Lewis, John Lewis, Archibald McQueen, Henry D. McFarland, John McMullen, Robert McClelland, William Malone, John Mathews, Samuel A. Miller, H. Miller, Benjamin Noyes, Frank Noyes, James B. Noyes, Jr., William Noyes, John Noyes, Creed Parks, Bushrod Parks, Dr. A. E. Patrick, John Patrick, Joel E. Quarrier, William A. Quarrier, Monroe Quarrier, Noyes Rand, Fred N. Rand, Fenton M. Reynolds, William Reynolds, Thomas Roberts, Edward Ruby.
John C. Ruby, John Rundle, Daniel Ruffner, Jr., Joel Ruffner, Jr., Meredith P. Ruffner, Andrew L. Ruffner, Andrew Shrewsbury, Joel Shrewsbury, Jacob Spessard, Isaac Noyes Smith, Thomas Smith, Albert Singleton, W. B. Snyder, David Smithers, William S. Summers, George W. Summers, Jr., John S. Swann, Thomas B. Swann, Stephen T. Teays, Cameron L. Thompson, Thornton Thompson, Benjamin F. Turner, Joseph F. Watkins, Mienhart Wehrle, George L. Welch, Levi Welch, James Welch, Henry Wilson, W. A. Wilson, William Armstead, colored cook, faithful during the war.