Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1877-06-19
CHICKS VS.. RIFLES.
The Chattanooga Dispatch Gives q
Fair Statement of the Row
at Huntsville.
The Poet Of the Nashville American
Siugs Another Romance.

Lug N~hatIanoOga Dlspatch, OF the l0th
Instant, contains the following interest
ing reading from its representative at
Huntsville:
Considerable indignation is felt among
the Chickassws at the action Of the Burns
Artillery with regard TO the
MINSTREL TROUPE,
composed exclusively Of the Porters.
which gave a performance at the Opera
House last night. The Chickasaws think
that running a minstrel show is incom-
patlble with the dignity Of a soldier" as
. elegant darling" expressed it.
They are consoled with the fact, however,
that they played to a very scattering au.
dience-a good deal Of scattering" be.
ing done between acts.
twenty-five thousand dollars in vari-
Gus bets have been staked on the result
Of the drill.
1t was thought a hundred and sixty
men could not be found in all Tennessee
so ungallant as to disappoint two thou
sand ladies, gathered from various cities
in three or four States, to witness their
evolutions.
Huntsville is very happy and SO are
her visitors.
Nobody thinks we have lost much, as
the constant rain would have made the
drill but a sorry affair anyhow.
Everybody is willing to hurrah for the
glorious old Volunteer State and her gal.
liant men and beautiful women.
The citizens and visitors who severely
censure the Porter Rifles are in a large
majority and are very severe in their
denunciation Of their course. The
Chiekasaws came light, expecting SINH.
lar drill exercises as heretofore gone
through with in the two former contests
at Nashville aud Memphis. The Porter
Rifles and their friends had large sums
of Money bet, aud the charge is made
that they intended making a sure thing
OF winning by insisting on the bayonet
drill, which is not company but fancy
exercise, in which they had practiced
thoroughly. This was a total surprise
10 the Chickasaws, who would Sot accept
the conditions, but proposed to give the
Porters the benefit OF four men and drill
the same as heretofore; hence the dis
agreement.
Mr.. William A. Gage, of Memphis,
proposed to stake FIVE hundred dollars
on the success OF the Chickasaws in regu-
lar drill on Saturday, the amount to be
given to the orphans OF Huntsville. The
Porters declined the proposition.
The imaginative bard Of the Nashville
American MARBLES the following pleasing
%ictions in his Sunday morning paper:
With regard to the statement made by
Captain Duncan-mentioned in this
mornings special from Huntsville-to
the effect that Lieutenant Caldwell told
him in Memphis there would be no bayo.
net exercise, Lieutenant Brown, who
went to Memphis with Lieutenant Chad.
we'll, and was present when the CONVEX
sation tccurred, asserts most emphati.
cally that the bayonet exercise was not
referred to in any whatever, it
being taken for granted by both the
Nashville officers that it would, Of course,
form part of the drill.
1t is a historical fact that Lieutenant
Brown was not present at the meeting
between Lieutenant Caldwell and the
officers of the Chickasaw Guards held in
this city. On that occasion Lieutenant
Brown was indisposed, too unwell to at
tend, went ia bed and did not hear OF
the meeting until next morning. Lieu
tenant Caldwell made all the arrange.
ments with Captain Duncan and officers
as TO the drill, but at the Huntsville con.
ference Lieutenant Caldwell was not
present, Captain Donelson saying:
Never mind my lieutenants, l will
attend to this thing myself" and Chad.
we'll, who knew all about the agreement
at Memphis, val ruled out Of the confer.
encsr 1t is proper for Lieutenant Chad.
we'll now to rise and explain and give
bic statement to the public prints. He
cannot possibly remain silent after what
has been said and written on the subject.
The American correspondent goes on
AID states as follows:
At 3 o'clock the Chickasaws gave an
hours drill exhibition on the Square
with thirty.two men. Their movements
we're we'll thought. OF, the general i'm
preston being favorable, but the opinion
prevailed that the e~volutions Of the Por-
ter Rifles yesterday were better. After
the drill, Captain Duncan made a speech,
charging all the failure to drill on the
Rifles. He said Lieutenant Caldwell
agreed in Memphis that the Rifles woull
not drill the skirmish and bayonet exer.
else.
At night a large party of darkies and
white boys termed mock companies, aud,
armed with brooms, had q comic drill
and cheered vociferously halt the night,
much to the modification of the people
who entertained the citizen soldiers
There is much indignation at the par.
tisan dispatches sent TO q Chattanooga
paper. which are said TO have been die.
lated by a young lady of Memphis.
The general impression is much in IA
vor of the Rifles, and Captain Duncan's
speech is greatly condemned by the PEG
pie here.
Some prominent citizens openly ex.
press the opinion that the Rifles should
have drilled and demanded the drill from
the Chickasaws or the medal
The badge which was to have been
drilled for cost $75. Its proper to state
that Lieutenant Caldwell paid to Capt.
Duncan 1877 50-the Rifles share of the
expsnse-and took a receipt therefor.
THE BAY0NET EXERCISE.
Our war correspondent, while at
Huntsville, made inquiries Of several Of
the United States officers concerning the