Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1857-08-13
: fffon she Indianapolis Journal
BY Hos. 0. H. SMITH.
TIE END OF THE MILITIA system.

IRE END or THE MILITIA SYSTEM.
In the early history of White Water, the
military spirit ran high and all aspirants
for honors and place were solicitous to make
stepping stones of militia offices. But in
time the military spirit began to abate,. and
officers to resign. One instance Irecollect.
Our statute required all inferior. officers to
serve five years, unless the Brigadier Cen
eral, for sufficient cause, would accept re-
signaticn Capt. William II. Morris, of
Brookville, rendered his resignation to Gen.
John L. Mckinney. and assigned his rea-
sons '.First, L am not tit for the office,
second the Office is not fit for me-" Gen.
Mckinney, designation 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 the
person of Major Lewis. He was young
man, like Julias Cesar, of weak body
but with the military ambition of Charles
the MI. Although but Lieutenant he
became candidate for Major, and having
no opposition he was triumphantly elected.
The first step of the Major was to provide
himself with splendid blue uniform coat,
coveredwith gold lace and large gilt but
tons; coat that Napoleon himself might
have worn while commanding at Austcr-
litz; a 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; epaulets that might
have graccd the shoulders of Blucher as he
lelthe Pruss.an army to the aid of Yelling
ton at Waterloo; true Damascus blade
in its brilliant scabbard, reaching to the
feet; boots of the swatara order reaching up
to his seat, with a pair ofgold plated spurs
with shanks foot long. The great mill
tary parade, which was to revive the spirit
of the revolution was soon to come on,
near the east fork of White Water, under
tie command of Major Lewis in person
Captains were required to be early in the
field, with Retrospective commands "arm-
ed and EQUIPPED as the law Directs The
great and memorable day at last arrived
The parade ground was early filled with
waving plumcS and crowds of anxious citi-
zsns. The Aid-de-C Camp of the Major
came galloping into the field in full uni
form, directly from the headquarters of the
Major. and haulted at the marquee of the
Adjudant. In few minutes the order
from the Major was given, in loud mill
tary voice, by the Adjudant mounted on a
splendid 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 the line, ready to receive the
Major" The order was promptly obeyed,
in true military style, when at distance
Major Lewis was seen coming into the field,
with his aids by his side, horse rearing and
plunging, very unlike old Whitley at the
battle of Buena Vista. The brilliant uni
form 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 years,
marked him to the eye of thousands, who
were looking for General William o. But
Ter. The line was formed, the Major took
position on rising ground, about hun
dred yards in front of the battalion; rising
IN his stirrups, and turning his face full
upon the line Attention the whole.''-
Unfortunately the Major had not tried his
voice before IN open air, and with the word
Attention his voice broke, and ''the
whole sounded like the whistle of a shrill
fife. The moment the sound reached the
line, some one at the lower end, with
voice as shrill as the Majors, cried out,
Children, come ont of the swamp, you'll
get snake Bit" The Major pushed down
the line at full speed. '.Who dares insult
me-" No answer. The cry then CON-
menced all along the line, "Y ou'll get snake
bit, you'll get snake Bit The Major
turned and dashed up the line, but soon
had sense enoughto see that it was the mi
htia 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 upon the
ground, tore his commission to pieces, and
resignedIhis Office ON the spot. The battal-
ion dispersed, and militia musters were at
an end from that time forward in the White
Water country.
SHARP PRACTICE.
To the credit of the young lawyers in
those days, they almost committed to mem
DRY the few books we had, not forgetting
the constitution of the STATE. Among the
most Industrious and learned was my friend
Cyrus Finch of Centreville, 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
defendant, and Mr. Finch for plaintiffs
He proved that my client had promised by
parol to pay debt another person owed his
client. The evidence was closed; L thought
had him, and took up the statute and
read to the associate judges from the chap
ter on frauds and perjuries-'.No action
shall be brought to charge any person up
on any promise to answer for the debt, de-
fault or miscarriage of another, unless the
promise is in writing signed by the party
to be charged" This / supposed settled
the case, but not so. Mr. Finch-"Hand
me that book. If the Court please, that
law is void under the constitution of the
United States; it reads, No State shall
pass any law impairing the obligation Of
contracts >" saw j was gone. The
Court-"The constitution of the United
r Il