The evening Argus. [volume] (Rock Island, Ill.) 1861-1871, 1866-09-25

The officer of the day will reply: Friends
with the couutsrsign.
Sentinel will command, Halt friends
Advance one with the countersign.
The officer of the day will halt the recruit
Advance, give the oountersign ia low
tone or whisper) to the sentinel:
The sentinel will command, The counter.
sign is correct. Advance, friends.
Having passed, the sentinel viii immedi-
ately repair to the quarters of the officer of
the day, and remain on duty at the second
entrance or reserve post. The sentinel on |
duty there will repair to the outpost. The |
officer of the guard will when reheved) at |
once enter the encampment and take post on |
the right of the guard detailed for muster.
The recruit 10 conducted by the officer of |
the day. to the sound of slow solemn music, |
twice around the encampment hating at the |
stool, upon which the othcer OF the day will
instruct the candidate to kneel, placing his
left hand on the bible and swords, and hold.
ing up his right hand as if in the act of being
mustered into the service. Here the post ad-
iutant administers obligation second, recruit
repeating:
| do solemnly swear, in the presence of Al
mighty God and these witnesses, my former CON-
| rades in arms, that will never, under any pre-
| tense nor for any purpose whatever, make known
| the secrets OF this encampment That will new
4
er directly or indirectly, any of the passwords,
| grips, signs, or give any information whatsoever,
| by which any OF the hidden mysteries, work or
| ritual Of this band of comrades may be known to
| the unnitated. / do further solemny swear that
| will never wrong soldier his family,
| suffer others to wrong them, if can help IL but
that will all occasions, when not inconsistent
| with the duty owe my God, my country, and my
self beiriend him and his family; that will on all
occasions employ him assist him to obtain en-
ployment; that, il need be, will extend the hand
| of charity, first to him, those by whose side
have fought for my country; that lotH sustain J0r
offices of tTtlSt and profit other things being equal
at all times, the citizen soldier Of the Republic. do
further that will be governed by the rules Of
the Encampment, and yield implicit obedience to the
| Encdmpment of Uhich ImGy be member, and to all
the rules and orders Of the Grand EncGBtpment, to
| trtich This Eneampment is subordinate. And fur
Their promise and declare that should any books or
papers belonging TO this encampment come or be
| placed IN my hands, Will neither print nor copy
| nor to be printed pied, any part por-
| ton thereof, except by special permission OF the
grand encsmpment. | do further that
| take the obligation upon myself without any men
tai reservation whatever, under no less penalty
than that of being treated and punished as spy
and a traitor by this order So help me God and
keep me steadiast.
The officer of the guard, Immediately after
the obligation Is admins tered, will command
-Atten ton, Guard Shoulder arms, Ready
Aim /! E=-
The officer of tue day Will now quickly
command-Hold! This is a soldier and a
brother, land viii remove the covering from
| the head of the recruit)
The officer Of the guard then commands
Recover arms! Shoulder arms Order
| arms
uere the officer Of the day delivers the fol
lowing address the recruit, who is still
kneeling:
You see, my brother and fellow soldier,
what might have been your fate but for my
timely interference IN your behalf This Is
TO impress tirml upon your memory the I'M
portance OF the solemn obligation you have
lust taken and the danger that might come
to you should you treecherously betrav the
secrets OF this oncampment entrusted to you.
| You behold & strange emblem of mortality
| you no doubt have seen many like it. The
remains of this comrade snd brother patriot
| who WAS starved in the demon den Anderson
vile rebel prison, have been saved by kind
| friends from unknown grave. But, .
many brave men whose fearless hearts once
beat like yours to night, in holy unison with
our glorious Union, are now lying cold and
motionless beneath the ciods of the valley in
a strange, unknown land. May it duly i'm.
| press you with II sense of than kfulness TO the
| Great Giver of all good, that you were saved
| from such n terrible fate. You were blind
folded for the purpose Of calling up wildly t.
your recollection the dark, gloomy days,
months and years of the rebellon-tbe better
to enable you to thank God for his kindness
TO us as a people,in that, as it were, Egg ptian
mIdalght of national darkness. In being
caused to march around this encampment
{ blindfolded as you were, it will no doubt for
cibly remind you of many lonely midni CHI
hour, in which you have CROPPED your way to
| ward the eneDys camp; or, perhaps, bring
to your rememb ranoe some horrId scene o.
some we'll contested field, after the battle
when you administered to the wants Of your
dying comrades, vi ben the dark angel of death
was hurriedly closing the last life scene Of
many a brave solder, by whose side you
fought that day. May God help up to prof
By the solemn, heart rending scenes of the
past But, my friend, let turn from the
gloomy past to the more hopeful and gloriou.
future; and may the solemn scenes which you
have ust witnessed teach you that great and
| important lesson OF human life. that nothing
/ is lett for us 10 do but our duty to the living
and while we cherish in fond remembrance
the recolectioDE of eur uartyred comrades lei
US pledge ourselves snew to the glorious Tn
ion bequeathed US by our revolutionary faith
: ers; to the wives and children of those wht
will return to them no more forever and Il
the living representatives Of the gallant vol
uutcer army of the UniOn-the saviors Of thu
1 =
hands of the post commander for further in
stTuctiOns.
D at this iuncture the post adjutant vii
: command Parade il dismissed.
The guard will then stack arms. The bat
talon will. with the guard, repair to then
seats, and the orderly ut the entrance viii
cause the entrance to be closed. The officers
having resumed their stations, the officer o.
} the day will address the commander of tn,
post:
Sir, have the honor to introduce (herl
give name), formerly of (here give regiment
) volunteers.
The officer of the day remains with the re
cruit until the charge of the post commander
is delivered, which he will at once proceed Il
! do.
The post commander will address the re
cruIt in su distance as follows:
My friend: you have now, of your owl
free will and accord, taken upon yourself til,
} most solemn and binding oath that is posi-
BILE for man to give or receive, and enrolled
: yourselfin the most powerful army ever en-
! listed since the foundation of the world, ant
: it now becomes me, as the commander of thi,
, post, to explain to you the nature of this or
| ganization, and the necessities for such or
: order