Butte record. (Bidwell, Butte County, Cal.) 1853-1858, 1855-04-14


conceivable angles, and 50 litile do they
know about firearms, that probably if
called TO load their muskets in hurry
two out Of 4hree would put their cart
ridges in their biceches pockets, and
stick thei percussion caps on the ends Of
thei ramroGs. When they fire salute,
and mean 10 AL shoot together, the re-
port is so near Simultaneous that stranger
would think they were firing minute
guns. They always select for judges of
tie shooting, the men who will give the
most whisky, and make the shortest
speeches. As these excursions come off
just before election, the candidates for
Office generally pay for the prizes, and
bear the expenses Of reporter for the
press to puff the company. The judges
carry out the rewards in the morning
tied up in brown paper, ana the soldiers
wear them back at night around Their
necks. Six or eight men, He'd pioneers,
march in fr"nt, with unpsis ou their
heads a her aprors tied around their
waists, and theoretical axes IN their
hands, which could never, bv any posi-
biliiy, be made to cut anything The
officers walk between the p!atoons, -four
lshing their dandy swolds-their atten-
ton being pretty equally vidcd between
keeping the men IN line, keeping the
tile boys out of the line keeping their
unaccusloned white g!oves on, and try
ing to keep strp with tie music. In
single file the men march Ike flock Of
geese, on their winding way to the mill
pond, and >ix or eight abreast, they 90
with The regularity Of a crowd Of school
boys, efecting mastery bat hurried
retreat from somebody's melon-pa'ch.
In order to make them form straight
line, it is necessary to back them up
against brick block, or make them
stand between the tracks Of a railroad
Such was the company of which l be-
came member for brief and eventfal
time. Its cognomen YVES " TIE Larger
Bier Ame icgn To{unteers, and Natire
Empire City SAil1eiah GHards," being
composed of Irish, Dutch, Spaniards,
and Saudw ch Islanders, the ouly Ameri-
cans in the company, being The colored
target-bcarer, and the undersigned.
Convened in the drill-foom at \. NJ
As ! was a new member, and had bor-
rowed my uniform / had some difficulty
in putting it on-buckled my crosslet
round NY neck, got my cap on wrong
side before, stuck my bayonct through
my coat-tail-put my cartridge-box be-
tween my shoulders, and my priming-
wire where my ''pompon" should have
hcen. Ready at length to start-crossed
the fesry-d!sembarked proceeded to
the ground aud prepared to dill. The
captain finding it impossible to get iato
a straight line in the usual manner, at
length ingeniaus'y overcame this geome-
trIcal difficulty by ranging us against a
board fence--he then proceeded to pui
us through the exercise: {" Shoulder
arms !" Got my gun on the wrong
shoulder "Order arms" Brought ii
down on the toos of my neighbor.-I
" Shoulder arms.'' again. Got it on the
right shoulder this time, but in so doing
knocked off the cap of the man next to
me, &C. Got through the rest of the
drill without any serious mishap, except
in attempting to charge my piece, l bit
off the wrong end of the cartridge, and
swallowed the ball-.-spilled the powder
on the ground. and loaded the musket
with the paper only.
Now came the shooting. Niger set
the target at twenty paces->-four volleys
and not ball in it---moved it up 10 IF
teen--no better luck---moved it again,
one ball put in it this lime BY clumsy
Dutchman, who shut his eyes when he
fred, and hit it by mistake Finding
that shooting was no use, captain adopt
ed the usual plan---set the target at ten
paces--..b ..blind-folded the men, and each
charged on it with the auger, where the
point happened to hit, he bored hole,
aud the nearest the BULLS eye took the
prize | could see little through u
hole in ths cloth---consequence: hit the
centre and took the first prize, "a plated