Lancaster gazette. [volume] (Lancaster, Mass.) 1828-1830, 1829-02-17

the motion with little more dexterity. i
S,h,o,a,EShoulder, foIki Very
handsomely done indeed Put your gun
on the other shoulder, gentlemen.
Order, folk! Not quite SO well gen.
tlemen, not quite altogether; perhaps did
not speak loud enough for you all to hear
me at once. Try once more ifyou please:
hope you will be patient, gentlemen. /
we-wlli soon be through.
Order folk Handsomely done, gem
tlemen very handsomely done and al
together too, except some of you were
teette too soon, and some others leetEe
too late.
In laying down your guns, gentlemen.
take care to lay the locks up and the 9TH
er side down.
Tention the whole! Ground, foolk /
Very well.
Charge, bayonet! ,Some of the men1-|
That can't be right, captain pray look
again, for how can ..Ee charge bayonet
without our guns
Captain. / don't know as 10 that
but | know I'm right, for here it It's print
ed in the book; oh, ar, yes, charge bay-
onet, that's right, that's the word if |
know how to read ; come, gentlemen, do
pray charge bayonet! Charge say
Why don't you charge Do you think it
ant so Do you think | have lived to
this time o'day and don't know what
charge bayonet is F.? Here, come here,
you may see for yourselves it's as plain
as the nose in your fa-stop, stay, no !
halt no! no Faith I'm wrong I'm
wrong turned over two leaves at once,
but beg your pardon, gentlemen, we
will not stay out long and we'll have
something to drink as soon as we have
done. Come, boys, get up off your stumps
and logs, and take up your guns, aud
we'll soon be done excuse me if you
please.
Fir bayonet!
Ad0ance arms Very we'll done, turn
the stocks OF your guns in front, gentle
men, and that will bring the barrels be-
hind, and hold them straight up and
down if you please. Let go with your
left hand, and take hold with your right
lust below the guard. Steuben says tine
gun must be held per, pertic' Lr-yes,
you must mind and hold your guns very
pertic'lar. Now. boys-'tention the
whole Present, arms Very hand
somely done only hold your guns ovel
s'other knee, t'other hand up, turn you
guns round little, and raise them W
higher, draw the other foot back Nov
you are nearly right, very well done, GEN
TLEMEN you have improved vastly since
first saw you you are getting too slick
What charming thing it is to see mel
nnder good dicipllne Now GENTLEMEN
we come to the reootutiOnS, but Lord
men you have got all in sort of snarI
as | may say how did you get all into
such higgety pigglety.
The fact was, the shade had moved
considerably to the eastward, and had ex
posed the right wing of those hardy vet
Grams to CALLING fire of the sun. Beins
+ but poorly provided with umbrellas a
this end OF the line, they found it conve
nient to follow the shade, and in huddIins
to the left for this purpose they had chan Q
ed the figure of their line from that of
crescent to one which more nearly re
sembled pair of pot-hooks.
Come gentlemen (says the captain
spread yourselves out again into stralgh
line, and let US get into wheelings anc
other matters as soon as possible.
But this was strenuously opposed b.
the soldiers. they objected to goin!
into these revolutions at all, inasmuch al
the weather was extremely hot, and the
had already been kept in the field up
wards of three quarters of an hour
They reminded the captain of his repeat
ed promise to be as short as he possibl,
could, and it was clear he could dispens,
with all this same wheeling and flourish
ing if he chose. They were already YER
thirsty, and if he would not dismiss then
they declared they would go off without
. dismssion and get something to drink
and he might fine them if that would d.
, him any good they were able to paJ
their fine, but could not 60 without drinl
to please any body aud they swore they
would not vote for another captain who
wished to SO unreasonably strict.
The Captain behaved with great spirit
upon this occasion, and smart colloquy
. ensued when at length becoming exas
perated to the last degree, he roundly as
serted that no soldier ought ever to thinl
hard of the orders of his officers; and fl
nally he went so far as to say that he did
not think any gentlemen on that ground
had any just cause to be offended with
him. The dispute was finally settled by
the captains sending for some grog fol
their present accommodation, and agree.
ing to omit reading the military law as d.
rected by late act, and also all the mil
itary maneuues, except two or three such
easy simple ones as could be performed
within the compass of the shade. After
they had drank their grog, and had
spread themselves, they were divided
into platoons. 3a