The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-05-17
Giles on the Military.

Our brother of the Ne,rberry Sentinel has 3een ob
ged recently to sholder arms, and to be and appear
according to law, to perform duty,"'he says, las
gallant soldier of the Dickcrtsvile Beat Company of
the Western Battalion of the thirtyninth Regiment of
the Fifth Division of South Carolina Militia" lie COM
plains Justify about the SYSTEM and hints very plainly
about there being no necessity for sueh displays Of
fuss and feathers" which occur in our State. His de-
scrption of the parade is quite amusing. Speaking
of how he got to the sold field" he says: "a friend
gave seat in his buggy at the very latest moment
of time or we would have been compelled to walk six
wearisome miles over dusty road to obey:the sum-
mons This was not all of our good fortune. Arrived
at the old field" another friend kindly equipped US
with gun, or we would have been court martialed
for not having gun or stick or an umbrella with which
to prescnt arms" shoulder arms" and "order arms"
Eleven o'clock came and the Adjutant of the Battalion
mounted his Rosanante and shouted, the unwclcome
command, "Parade Paradel' The cry was taken
up by the orderly sergeants of the respective Beat
companies, and such running to and tro there was
Here company formed in tortuous line I'M front of a
pgpen there another chose for its rallying point
feedtrough another formed in close proximity to a
cake-andbeer wagon: and still another ranged in front
of railfence not CROOKED than the line pre-
sented. The companies formed, off they marched in
beautiful heterskelter style for the old ied" distant
about a quarter of mile. Arrived at the point Of
rendezvous the battalion formed in line and the
command given battalion, Shoulder arms" "Prepare
for review" "Rear rank, open order three PAGES
backward march," "Rear rank, right dress" a curv-
Il l,ot G,,o of Oh
front and ranks presented this occasion beau
tiful line McCoMB and SCOTT would have gone into
fits if they had witnessed the execution Of this beau
tiful evolution The command then given to close
up and then commenced series of beautiful marches
and counter marches up and down tile 'od field first
on this sidc then on that Side of said od field" Rea-
der you ought to have been there; but perhaps, it
would not have been new to you. Such spectacle
may be seen on every such occasion. We have wit
messed many such exhibitions of military maneuver.
ing"
Tho 'curvcd lines Of which the gentleman speaks,
we presume were not equal to Hogarths wave lines
Of beauy-whth are in other words graceful "curyed
lines There is we presume in the present case this
difference that cured line is one thing aud line
cured is another; and on the parade in question, it
was rather an irregular line Cured Wehave slight
recollection of having something Of the kind
selves. ~
In conclusion, we agree with the Sentinel when it
says-"We are, therefore, in favor of aboishng the
whole system as useless in time efpeacc. Whenever
war occurs the citizen can be readily transformed into
the soldier, as abundantly proved in the Mexican
war; Some other SYSTEM than the present should
be devised for preserving the military organization of
the State and the duty Of appointing patrols assigned
to magistrates or commissioners of roads"