Marshall County Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1855-1859, 1857-10-08
THE END OF THE MILITIA SYSTEM.

IHE LND VI IuL AilLitiA oISlEM
In the early history of White Water,
the military spiris ran high, and all aspi-
rants for honors and place were solicitous
to make stepping stones of military offices
But in time the military spirit began to
abate, and officers to resign. One instance
L recollect: Our statute required inferior
officers to serve five years, unless the Brig
adler General, for sufficient cause, would
accept resignation. Capt. VIM r. Nor
ris, of BrookvilIe, rendered his resignation
to Gen. John I. Mckinney, and assigned
his reasons. First. am not fit for the
office, second the Office is not fit for me-
Gen McKinney-. Resignation accepted on
the first ground The whole system
seemed to be on its last legs, when all at
once there arose into public notice, in the
county of Wayne, the man for the occasion
in .he person of Maj. Lewis. lie was a
young man, like Julius Caesar, of weak
body. but with the military ambition of
Charles the XII. Although but Lieu
tenant he became a candidate for Major,
and having no opposition he was triumph
aI1y elected. The fist step of the major
was to pr9YiE himself with a splendid blue
uniform coH.ered with gold lace and
large gilt eagle buttons coat which Ma
poeon himself might nave worn while
commanding at Auserltz; chapeau in
imitation of the one worn by Gen. Jackson
at the battle of the Horse Shoe, surmounted
by towering red plume, with white tip;
epauetts that mi ght have graced the shoul-
ders Of Blucher as he led the Prussian ar
my to the aid Of Wellington at Waterloo; a
true Damascus blade in its brilliant scab
bard. reaching to the feet; boots of the
swatara order, reaching up to his seat, with
pair Of gold plated spurs with shanks a
foot long. The great military parade which
vas to revive the spirit of the revolution,
was soon to come OF, near the east fork of
the White Water, under the command Of
Major Lewis in person. Captains were rc-
quired to be early in the field, with their
respective commands. armed and equipped
as the law directs. The great and me.no-
rahle day at last arrived The parade
ground was early filed with waving plumes
and crowds Of anxious citizens. The Aid
de- Camp of the Major came galloping into
the field in fall uniform, directly from the
headquarters of the Major, and halted at
the marquee of the Adjutant. In few
minutes the order from the Major was Civ
en- in loud military voice, by the Adju
tant mounted on a S; Iendic gray charger :
Officers to your places, marshal your men
into companies, separating the barefooted
from those who have shoes or moccasins,
placing the guns sticks and cornstalks in
separate platoons, and then form in line
ready to receive the Major The order
was promptly obeyed in true military sly lie,
when, at a distance Major Lewis was seen
coming into the field with his Aids by his
side, his horse rearing and plunging, very
unlike old Whitley at the Battlc of Buena
Vista. The brilliant uniform of the Major
and his high waving plume pointed him
out as distinctly as the military bearing of
my friend James Blake, when marshal of
the day. in after wears, marked him to the
eye of thousands who were looking for
Gen. VIM. 0. Butler. The line was form
ed. and the Major took position on a rising
ground, about a hundred yards in frcnt of
the battalion; rising in his stirrups. and
surning his face full upon the line, 'Atten-
ton, the whole J Unfortunately, the Ma
jor had not tried his voice before in the
open air, and with the word Attention
his voice broke, aad the whole sounded
like the whistle of shrill fife. The mo-
ment the sound reached the line, some one
at the lower end, with voice as shril as
the Majors cried out: Children come out
of the swamp, you'll get snake bit The
Major pushed down the line at full speed
WHO dares insult me-? The cry then
commenced all along the line, You ii get
snake bit, you II get snake Bit The Ma
jor turned and dashed up the line, Out soon
had sense enough to see that it was the
militia system that was at an end, and it
was not Major Lewis that was the main
object of ridicule He dashed his chapeau
from him, drew his sword and threw it on
the ground. tore his commission to pieces,
and resigned his Office on the spot. The
battalion dispersed and militia musters
were at an end from that time forward in
the White Water country.
SHARP PRACTICE.
To ;he credit of the young lawyers in
those days, they almost committed to mem
ory the few books they had, not forgetting
the constitution Of the State Among the
most industrious and learned was my friend
Cyrus Finch, of CentreviIle, who died
young We had little pass before the
associate Judges of Wayne county, that
the profession will appreciate at this day
The case was an assumpsit. was for the