American watchman and Delaware advertiser. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1822-1828, 1827-07-06
A MILITIA MUSTER.

A MILITIA MUSTER.
The following description Of country militia
muster, drawn to the life, is from the Miners Jour
nal, valuable weekly paper, published among the
coal mines of Pennsylvania. Though written in
Pennsy lvania, like the old fashioned almanacs, il
will suit any other meridian in the United States
equally we'll. ". 7. Com. .4dr.
:. Militia fair. commonly called battalion ay 7
was duly sulemnz ed at Orwisburg. in this county
on Wednesday last. Those Of our readers who
have not witnessed these gatherings, must be in
formed it is festival Of no small magnitude The
whole country is gathered together, men and wo
men, boys and girls, old aud young. meet and
dance, romp. drink, fight and .scut up high."--
Labor OF all kinds is suspended. villages and ham
let's are vacated. and every soul, whether subject
to military duty or not, if capable of shaking leg
trudge off b, dawn of day, dressed in their best; t
the place of rendezvous. which is usually one oil
the principal towns. 1t may be remarked there
are generally quite as many women present as
men, and three times as many spectators soldiers
in fact, soldering has very little to do with the
matter. Discipline. order and standardization are
by common consent banished from the field ana
Inst in the din Of shooting, hooina. drinking and
dancing. The people gather together for a frol
c,''-.s real tear down trolic." and they are de-
ermined to have it, and have it they do and will
Improvement in military science and tactics il
no part of their concern, and is as little attended
to as the last Sundays sermon.
A word or two descriptive of the mode Of pro
ceedng on these Battalion days, MAJ not be unn
erestng to some Of our city readers. The frs
thing heard in the morning is the random firing o
guns, scrarng OF fddles, and bolsterous mirth art
congratulations amongst the Young rustics by
seven or eight O'Clock, the H,psesa commences
The following is the process. Each tavern is pro
Earh ioIx 81, r.,
sweetheart. wife, or tocun tenens. The dance i
a three or six handed reel. A gentleman asks twe
others to jun him, they pay the fiddler 'fp,' OF
a j" ierq,'' and go TO work with most audable yea
and industry. The fiddler plays as it his life de-
pended upon despatch, and accompanies his elbow
with his foot in most audible raps upon the floor by
way Of keeping time. The dancers. II may be sup
posed, are mt idle the floor is well sanded and
substantial proof given that they do not dance
without shoes. The figure 8 and set is the whole
figure. One of the party calls for lass Of sling
toddy, or something Of the kind, and placing him
self before his partner. gives her "a nod" drinks
first himself and then hands her The glass, she
drinks and passes il to the next gentleman, win
goes up to his partner and repeats the ceremony
Thus they drink and dance until the stipulated
number Of tunes are played. when fresh part,
takes the floor and the dance continues. This i.
one Of the principal occupations Of the day.
Every man considers 1t his right. II not his duty
to 60 where he pleases. do as lie pleascs and pay
little attention as he pleases. hence 1t is not tho
work Of moment to form line. But generally
towards ten or eleven o'clock. after no little noise
aud confusion, the several companies formed
into what is called a line And here view is
presented worthy the pencil Of Hcgarth Some
of the men with guns, and great many wthou,
them Some with sticks, others with a stick stuck
into the muzze of an old pistol the length Of ones
finger to represent fire AIMS. The variety Of taste.
displayed in the uniform Of the officers. is hot the
least amusing part Of the spectacle. In due sea-
son. the order is given to march. to ncigbor-
ing field or common. where the line is again form
ed.
4 few cvolutions are attempted and performed,
each in his own time and after his own manner.
The army IS marched two or three times around
and across the field in a pot-honk line and then
marched back into town and dismissed, each won
derfully edited and improved in military .iscip-
line. The real business Of the day is now com
menceh in good earnest Firing guns, routing,
dancing. counting, fighting and drinking. And
that the latter are effectively performed. the at
torney general, in due season, receives ample tes-
timony. This is Battalion day--fyaipins accur-
ding to law"
1t is impossible that an iil-nature man can have
a public spirit; for how should be love tnn thou
sand men who r.. -lnved on- 7