, 1860-05-07
Worthy Of InllfafIon--Tlle Connecticut
EFlde.ayTaket.
tsfom III Stw York Tribune

Qne peculiar feature III the tannectlcut c1ul-
paign was the formation Of Wide-Awake +"
Clubs. These Clubs arc composed Of young
meu who, while holding themselves ready fof
any duty during the day, are organized more
particularly for escort and toEch.light duty IN
The evening, at meetings and in PROFESSIONS.
As such Clubs will be organized very extensive
ly during the approaching Presidential cam
psign, and as all Information about the Con
uec1icut companies will bs valuable to those
who propose to establish other companies, we
propose to gire description of tho dress and
drill Of the Hartford Wide-Awakes.
The uniform Of the Company consists OF q
glazed cap and tt. large enat1:e1ed-cIoth cape,
made very full, and reaching down about the
leng'h Of the arm, SO that when tl1r arm is haug
sleeve Of the coat The capes are outtoned or
tied in front, 50 that when shs arm is raised to
carry the torch the coat aeeEe is not exposed,
and the action Of the'arm is not impedad. The
officers have oyercoats of the enamaled cloth,
made in the style known as the Inverness maa.
rery striking uniform, is to protect the clothes
from oil which may drop from the torches. A
coat would bo expensive, and the cape was
adopted for the re1k and file On account of its
cheapness. The torches are made OF tin and
will hold about q1ass each. They are hung
in ring like ships compass, and will swiug
in ever5 direction, and By adapting themselves
The sticks are about fiYe feet long and an inch
and half iu diameter. The officers Of tha
Company wear glazed Lats instead Of caps, and
instead Of torches they carry cclo.ed lauterne
the ptain red lantern and the lieutcnants
green OF blue. Whole cost Of uniform and torch
s. IS.
The men are regularly drilled in marching,
and arc as strictly under arms Us any military
company. In this lies the great beauty and
efficiency Of the organization. The regularity
Of their movements in a torch light procession
eicits the warmcsi admiration from al who see
them; and their obedience to tie word Of conl-
mand and their strict discipline render them Of
great service in escort duty; and in their attend
tendance upon out-of-door meetings. The rules
Of marching are d strictly enforced with the
Wide:AwaGes III in the Tth Regiment; and ci-
gar smoking. talking, tsaving the ranks, and
other irregularities, Are no mere allowed In the
one than in the other corps.
The organization Is extremely popular in
Hartford. The young men aud older ones arc
also enrolling themselves as members, aud ut
their last parade they turned outoyer 100 strong.
The Waterbury Company have improved upon
the Hartford Company in their uniform. They
have their capes trimmed With facing Of white
cloth Or leather, which refevvs the solid black
of The enau.eltd- cloth, aud gives the dress =
lighter and Horo military appearance. Their
torches also are got up in little better style.
The origin Of Tue Nile-Awakes, as nearly as
We can trace it, is this: In tue torch.lieht pro-
ceskinn which escorted Cassus II. Clay to his
quarters, after his speech in Hartford. On the
evening Of February eth, and which marched
roung men, named D. @. Francis and II. l..
Blair, who wore black eambric capes to protect
themselves from the oil which experience had
taush. them would occasionally drip from the
torches. Mr. G. ?. Bissc.l, the marshal
Of the procession, noticed tho uniform, land
co,nplimented them upon it, and at the sux-
gestien Of Mr. II. G. Bsckwith, be had them
Put al tie head Of The procession, anil gave ons
Of them fine Swinging torch which he (sir.
Bisseil) had made for his own use- It Tas the
subject Of Il very general remark that the capea
were a grand idea, aud the next day it was pro-
posed among the Young men TO get up ecm.
pany Of tilty, and to adopt NJ uniform. GLAZED
one made for Mr. Bssel. Mr. s. b. Ives and
Mr. H. f. Hitchcock took actire steps, and
meeting was called. This meeting was held ID
the room Of MF. Allen Francis, over the City
Bank, Il c,.:,'p:ny was organized, aud J. :,
Ghnlker, Esq, VIZ. chosen captain. Six ltenfcn-
ants were also chosen. The name Wide-Awako
was suggested By . paragraph in the DaAy
C1nr1n. Of March 5, written By the assistant
editor, Mr. VIM. r. Fuller. It was proposed to
the company by Mr. Il. r. Hitchcock, and at
once adopted as just the ua'ne Of all others:
After ihe organization the ranks filed mp
rapidly, and when Oh tie 10Th ot Aafch sheJ
went to Waterbury. they marched to the cars
one hundred strong.
We hare not room to giTe in this article an
account Of what this company has done during
the campaign. We can only state in br7ef that
thev drove OFT = rrowd OF rondies who we're
determined 70 break up mAss meeting in
Waterbury; they have protected, meetings,
professions, and speakers in Hartford, snd on
election daT they stationed tifty men at each OF
the voting places in Hartford and did noble
service IN challenging, sending for veters. sup
pressing rowdyisn,, and attempts to brow:beat
those who bad recently left the Loco-Foco
party.
The second company Was formed at Water
burr, and then -Nsx-B1i.ain, New Haven.
and other towns quickly foiloHed- The shams
are terribly annoyed By this .Nide-Avake
movement. Thci. papers TT IN every MaJ
to throw ridiculc upon them bJ calling
them "infant politicians" &c. The Hartfora
Time, Just before election, was flled With abuse
sud vile SANDERS about the company, aud it was
evident, iron the bitterness Of that uosmwoot.
md cali sheet that the Nite:Awake movement
was Carrying cousterna'inn into the ranks Of
the SeYmouT men. They could endure sus-
thing and everything which the enthusiasm of
the Republicans prompted thera to do except
the getting up Of the Widc-Awakes: Tint form
Of Enthusiasm, drawing in as it did very many
Of their yonng men. was absolutely sgouiznS
70 them, aud they exclaimed, Take any shape
but that!'