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The Washington Guards
During the month of July, the Rosenberg Library had artifacts
related to the Washington Guards, the first military body
established in Texas
after the Civil War.
These civilian men were
incorporated into the state militia as Company A, First Texas
Regiment.
A small collection of Washington
Guards memorabilia was donated to the library by Josephine
Goldman in 1925.
Among these items is a ceremonial
sword from 1874 as well as an assortment of ribbons and medals
from events associated with the Guards.
 The
Washington Guards were first established as a state militia in
Galveston
in 1871.
Recognized
as an elite and highly regarded organization, the Washington
Guards were superior in drill exercises and won numerous
competitions.
There were
four separate companies in Galveston, all with distinct names and
insignias.
The Guard members’ blue dress
uniforms, which they wore on special social occasions, were said
to have been unusually colorful with attractive brass buttons.
In 1875 and
1888, the Washington Guards won three first-place blue ribbons
for drills at state encampments.
In 1874, a ceremonial sword was
awarded to the Guards for superior drilling at the Texas State
Fair.
The Washington Guards’ chief rivals
were the Houston Light Guards (established in 1873.)
Both companies
were credited with upholding law and order in Texas, and each was
recognized for its excellence in interstate rifle drills.
Membership
into the prestigious Washington Guards was usually based on
family tradition.
Admission into the group stemmed
from the earliest days of the Galveston Artillery Club.
The Artillery Club evolved into the
Washington Guards, which in turn evolved into the Sealy Rifles.
Eventually, the body came to be
known as the Galveston Artillery Company in the 1920s.
By
the early 20th century, interest in the local
military organization had waned, and the Washington Guards
disbanded in 1908.
In 1925, the Washington Guards
Veterans Association was created for the purpose of preserving
the traditions of the Guards and to prevent the organization’s
name from being lost in history.
Interestingly, the association
hosted an exhibit of Guards’ artifacts in the main lobby of
Rosenberg Library in July of that year.
Eighty-two years later, the library
is happy to celebrate the history of the Washington Guards once
again.
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