The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1878-06-20
old.Tine Militia Musters.

The crude militia" companies, accord
ing TO law, met twice year at their respec
tive headquarters for days drill and in
struction. The regiment was assembled
once a year, usually in the month OF May
ut the county town, where it was ma
neuyred and instructed rather aftel
Dryden's system than either Of those pre-
scribed by Congress.
Preparatory and for three days imme.
diately preceding the general muster the
officers OF all arms were assembled and
drilled together as 4 light infantry compa-
ny, commanded by their feld-officers. They
were instructed in the manual OF arms,
company tactics. regimental manGuyres,
and wound un by 4 ceremonious rehearsal
OF the part they were to play in the grand
review next day.
Although this company exhibited the
Elite OF our regir6ental splendorS, glittcring g
with tinsel and Haunting with feathers, !,
more heterogeneous and unsoldierly parade
could scarcely be imagined. There were
the elect from the mountains, who some
times marched to the rendezvous barefoot,
carrying their boots and soldier-clothes in a
bundle--thc ambitious cobblers, tailors, and
ploughboys from cross-road hamlets and re-
mote rural districts, short, tall, fat, skinny,
Eump-Shouldered, and sway-backed-
equipped by art as economically, awkward
", and variously rs they were endowed by
nature, uniformed in contempt OF all uni
formity, armed with old flint-lock mus
kets, horsemen's carbines, long squir-
rel rifles, double-barrelled shot-guns,
bell-muzzled blunderbusses, with side
arms OF as many different patterns,
from the old dragoon sabre that
had belonged to Harry Lees legion, to the
slim basket-hilted rapier which had proba-
bly, graced the thigh Of some Of our French
allies in the Revolution. The officers of the
volunteer companies, on the other hand,
were generally selected for their handsome
appearance and martial bearing, and shone
with certain elegance Of equipment, each
in the uniform pertaining to his company.
There was also q sprinkling OF eX-veterans
OF 1912, recognizable by certain martinez
precision In their department and q shadow
OF contempt for their crude comrades, but
Quick to resent any eXtraneous comment
derocatory to the service. A city dandy
who undertook to ridicule the old-fashioned
Wav in which some officers carried their
swords was silenced by the snappish reply,
"Young man, Eve seen the best troops OF
Great Britain beaten by men who carried
their swords in that way"
This harlequinade Of equipment, costume,
and character was duly paraded twice a
day, marched through the streets, and put
through its manGuvres on the green COM
mon adjoining our village, much to the sat
isfacton OF all emancipated sohool-boys,
negroes, ragamuffins, idlers, tavcrn-keep-
ers, and cake and beer-venders, and some
what. perhaps, to the weariness OF our Qua
tr;r M ha
apprentices to manage, and busy house.
wives who depended on little negroes for
help. Then came the great day OF days,
when all vulgar industry was for the time
suspended, and all hopes Of domestic dis
cipline deferred. Even the law students were
constrained to close their commentaries on
Blackstone, and as they met at the "bar"
would learnedly observe between glass OF
whskey and quid OF tobacco), "lnter
arnaa silent LegeS."
But how we school-boys leaped at the
first tap OF the reveille, eager for the reall-
zation Of our golden dreams! How hope
fully we scanned the eastern horizon for as
surance OF clear day! With what misery
delight we counted over our stock OF cop
pers, boarded for the occasion, and calcula-
led their equivalent in cakes, beer, and
sticks of taffy! How doubtfully we con-
sidered the worn effigy of ''Georgius Rex -
on Il coin we had found in dirt-pile, and
wondered if we could pass it on old Murql-
hart for a gulger!" Then how we
watched the dusty roads as the wild noun
taineers came trooping in to swell the buz-
Zug swarnls already gathered around the
taverns, groceries, and street-corners! ana
with what sublime emotion we mingled
with the crowd, saw the pumed heroes
hurrvine to and fro, rs with ceaSeless rub.
a-dub-dubbing, sounds OF buSles, waving
OF banners, flashing of swords, with "the
thunder of the captains and the shoutlng,'
this incoherent and refractory mob was al
length marshalled into some resemblance Of
a line OF battle! Then the march ateld
with its exciting accidents and incidents
several hours of tactical manGuVreS, sucn as
we might imagine Sitting Bull and stan
would execute with herd OF buhaloes
Then the return Of the dusty, thirsty
veterans of the days campaign, ano
the final resolution OF martial organlZa
ton into a storm OF drunken anarchy
and tisticufr fights; for. besides the
prescribed military duties, it was wen !ln
derstood that general-muster day, being
reckoned among the dies non IN CIVIL la"
afforded the people convenient opportu'
nifty for settling all the standing accounts
jealouses, riyalries, quarrels, horse-trades
and swindles of the current year after thcll
own fashion and the solution OF these dif
ticulties by whiskey and judicial combat
was considered quite as satisfactory as re-
sort to lawyers, and far more economical
For all in all, it was day worthy OF sly
months eager anticipation and six months
of pleasant remembrance.-P0rte Crdy0f
in Ha,per's Magazine for july.
CHURCHES IN RoME.-There are over 800
Catholic churches in Rome, independent Of
Sf Petar,S and the seven cathedrals. Thf