The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1874-02-05

ana over MN. 1falnlnS-uay, Wnlle
he was in command, began the night be-
fore. 1t was the custom to ''salute" the
Captain, as it was styled, by Il fusilade
made up Of the discharge Of muskets load
ed, halt-loaded, squibs, and flashes in the
pan, beginning about midnight, around
the Captains domicile, and kept up until
the parties concerned were '-invited in, =
and then followed scene that
''Frighted the reign of Chaos and old Night"
1t annoyed exceedingly the staid and
sleepy villagers, but the Captain was de
lighted with the attention paid to him
Morning came in due time, and with it
came the Captain, gorgeously arrayed in
military costume, and his soldiers armed
and equipped in the most fantastic manner
that human ingenuity, in those days, could
devise one with shoe on one foot, his
trousers leg cut off at the knee an old
boot on the other foot; another with 4
black earthen jug slung over his shoulder
stone jug on his back in lieu Of a KNAPP
sack; another with gigantic epaulettes
made Of bIirdocks, and another with a
strip of birch bark round his hat. COW $
tail stuck in for Il feather; these are but
specimens only. from which some idea
may be formed of the general military
air and costume Of the company when
drawn up for parade.
Capt "Pairces" military career culmi-
mated at the Fall Training III 1903. He
was drilling his Company in AHller's field,
marching at their head, wheeling OCCASION
ally to survey them marching backwards
rs was the military usage in those days,
when he found himself, unconscious Of its
proximity, brought up against 4 board
fence in his rear and the bayonctS of the
front rank who were pressing him hard
sticking into the boards or each side of
him. To resent the indignity he put four
of the ring-eaders under arrest, and
"back chamber One Of them, Ben.
Joy, who was the very soul of hlimor,
and prince of Wags, took Il bullet from his
pocket and dropping it into the muzzle of
his gun, declared that the first man who
attempted to put him INTO the back cham
Der would do 50 at the peril OF his life
The Captain began to feel his ''valor ooz-
ing out as it We're at the palm of his
hands" as Bob Acres in the play did, and
the matter was compromised by sending
the offenders under guard TO Whittier's
Tavern, the place Of their own selection
When the military labors Of the day were
concluded the captain marched his com
pany to the square in front of the tavern,
missed for the day, and gave the order
Front facc.' The yell of laughter that
broke forth aroused him from his military
reverie. There, in the front windows OF
the bar-room, the sashcs thrown up, theil
heads bowed nearly to the floor their
backs to the street, bare of clothinoe as
Adam was before Eve took up the tailor
ing trade, sat the four prisoners under
guard! The captain cNaporated without
giving the word Of command, company
dismissed !" When the company next
turned out it was in command Of the Lieu
tenant; the Captain wa not here to be
''Saluted7
The artillery was commanded IN Capt.
Thomas Cunningham. who lived at or near
the Head Of the Tide; Capt Ephraim
Mcfarland was Lieutenant The GUN
house stood on the Mcfarland lot, a short
distance from the spot where the house
occupied by Capt.nenry Mcttilyery stands,
and the usual place of parade for many
years was the green plot between the Me
Farland house and the road There were
two brass tield-pieces attached to the COM
pany, which We're retained for many wears,
and passed through many and varied ex-
perlences In the war Of 1872 they were
removed beyond the reach of the British
when they landed here; subsequently, one
Of them became the prey Of domestic in
yasion. The field-pieces now here were
substituted for those above named
Capt. Cunningham was the first to in
troduce here military manmuvrc called
''whipping the snake 1t was never
omitted on training days and was never
falling source Of amusement and wonder
ment to the non-combatants 1t consisted
in throwing his men into apparently mex
tricable confusion and bringing them out
OF it with as much accuracy and precision
as if they We're Il mere piece Of mechan-
ism
Abel Baker, by trade Il tailor, was Cap
tain Of the Cavalry. He was for one or
more years collector Of taxes; became a
detaulter-a rare bird in those days-and
took wing and flew from this latitude
some time about 1909, clothed. us rumor
said, in plumage very like that worn bv
llic L ltSlQtHJ Ot LHt NollltttE1tt states III
the time of his capture by the Fedora!
forces. Rumor further said that ut the
time of his flight he was mis-matc1 with
another strange bird. Robert Miller was
one Of the slireties on his collectors bond
and was compelled to make good the def
cheney to the town The land on which
the Custom House aid Peirce's block
stand and the land in the vicinity which
IS now Church street was taken in pay
ment Subsequently an exchange of land
was made and out Of that came the 'acre"
on which the Unitarian meeting house
1t was one Of the stpulations in
the negotiation between the town and the
parish that the seats in the gallery or 4
portion Of them, should forever be free to
the public for public worship OF, the Sab
bath. 1t is believed that they have never