The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1871-04-21

- ~, arc not forty years old, you VIII
n,sh,v not appreciate the following ar
IL r. YOU are so old, you will read 1t
with hearty zest:
THO Dtd.Fashteued Traiuinga.
frrom the Springfield Repuhiicau.1
sacn through nv boyhood's eyes, the old
days Of militia trainings were very grand
occasions. when the warnings had gone
forth for the May inspection OF the
trainers" anticipation was on tip-toe untli
the appointed day brought together the
cornranv, each man in his neat uniform oil
blue turned up with scarlet; his bright
buttons and polished musket; ms "nte
leather cross bands and handsome beaf'skth
cap, with its side feather and front nlate
hearing the gildcd eagle and iatellr Z. ,nn "a
Reg, ID Brig, 4th DN.|--in All the 'P",hp
and circumstance" Of mimic war. mat
cabalistic inscription bore to my mind
some mysterious connection with Lex
inrton and Bunker Hill, and every
man seemed to me rs brave and
deserving of honor as the sturdy ysoman
who. in those cveutful conflicts, looked the
red-coats in the eye along their death-deal-
ing weapons. Then came the stirring drum
call, the manual exercises, the breaking
into platoons, the imposing wheel and
march across the village green, and, later
IN the day, the magnificent firing! TO my
childish imagination no earthly portion was
more enyiahle than that of the stately cap
tain, who walked with military step behind
the music, with flushing sword, occasionally
turning to sec that his men kept dress and
step, or TO utter the curt command for
fresh mannuvrc.
Regularly, too, came the regmcnta mus
ter. On the mornings of those days | was
hy nf bo
'er Of wagons carry ing troops to the
Sls,.. oh was generally one Of the broad
field. wn.> "heapside (Deertield), whose
meadows at - 'nltted the largest free
level eXpanse pei ans. Forbidden by
dom for military evolu.- '"rng with the
nv careful parents from Satn>, | must
noisy crowd on these occaslone' the
needs content myself with listening ~
distant thunder of the cannon In tne hssi J
noon and Witnessing the return Of the sol.
diers in the evening. Sometimes crowd
Of them would stop ut the village tavern 10
add to the already frequent potatons o, the
day. when the fife and drums would roll Out
some stirring march upon the evening ai
and the random discharge Of remaining
cartridges signal their final departure nome
ward. That music, the conmlnSilng OIL Wv
rious uniforms, the mock orders ana merry
shouts thercat, the CLEAN OF sabres anu Day
and the flash of pistol and mtlSket-sllot,
have left impressions on my memory "h;cn
are inetfaceable. The young and Thought
less actors on those jovial occasions are now
aged and totterlng men, or nave lous sillIo
filled their narrow beds beneath tue clous
of the valley, and the military SYSTEM v,
the Commonwealth has been SO changed
that their successors III KIM VIII Hc'eA w.
new these scenes. -,
memorable incident connected with
those old militia times in Franklin county
occurred when ! was ten or twelve years
old. do not remember the year, but II
was durin. the administration OF Gov. Lii
coin, and was nearly the last OF The gen.
erI trainings" in that section. Instead
oc the ordinary regimental gathering, Il
muster of the whole brigade was sum-
moned, and tue Governor and staff were TO
be present to review the troops. 1t was
the first and / believe the last occurrence
of the kind in this country. This was
permitted to attend, and the day formed
An epoch in my boyhood life. 1t was
bright September day, ana the sun was
scarcely IN hour above the horizon "n ie,a
myself and companions were on the
ground, having driven ten miles to
reach 1t. Few days more thoroughly
enjoved live IN my recollection. The
gathering Of the various companies,
suuudrons, and batteries; the forming OF
the extended line, the hollow square,
from which rose the sonorouS voice Uf the
chaplain; the evolutions, inspection Of
arms and exercise Of the troops; the re-
view by the cummandcr-ln-chlct and
lastly. the mock tight and the din Of stimuli
tnurous and comminglcd firing were to my
childish ewes the height OF subllmity. L
thnuuht then that | understood how bat
files we're lost and won, and ii needed only
the carnage and the death-shrek to COM
nlcte the exciting picture. Some two or
three thousand troops of different arms pa
raded on that occasion, and the general in-
tercst was enhanced by several companies
of cavalry and ten pieces OF artillery, rs
well AS by the presence of the Governor
sought to add to the rcnown of my day on
the muSter.ticld by wOrmins my way
through the dense crowd that surrounded
the Latter tunctlonary and touching his
cuat-tails, that l might enjoy among my
schooIlnates the enviable notOrlety OF hay
inc obtained Governor Liucom's tag"
Utterly unconscious Of the fact, he did not
chase Inc for its return, and L still hold the
honor, In all probability, alone.
Well, those stirring scenes of heroic
"fuss and feathers" have departed. From
nv present standpoint | sec that it WAS best
they should so do. They involved Il loss OF
time and money, and imposed burden
that bore very unequally upon the ,yeoman-
nv and mechanics vi the land. Nor was This
the smallest objection to the old military
system. There was carousal and drunken
ness connected with it, greatly detrimental
to the morals Of the community and it is
observable that the downfall of the old re.
gime synchronizes with the commencement
OF the temperance reformation, some forty
live years ago. There was no longer any
induccment to wake up the field officers
before daybrcak unless the musicians were
rewarded with the customary treat"
And temperance men were unlikely to be
chosen to military offices, as they were I'M
willing to tod their commissions at the bot
tom Of the punch-bowl. l am fully sensi-
bic to the doubtful bearings of the old sys-
TEN, but even now l cannot but recur to
those former days of pomp, epaulettes,
banners, drums, plumes, and thunder with
pleasure which no substitute, the pro-
d,ict of LATER legislative wisdom has ever