The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1878-07-11
oLD TINS arL,rn ausrKns

tive headquarters for days drill aud in
struction. The regiment was assembled
once year, usually 10 the month Of May,
At The county town, where !, was man
Wuvrcd aud instructed rather alter Dry
den's system than either Of those pre-.
scrlbed by Congress.
Preparatory and for three days imme.
diaieiy preceding the general muster, tho
officers Of all arms were assembled and
drilled together as light Infantry COM
pany, commanded by their fleld-oflieers.
They were instructed In the manual OF
arms, company tactics, regimental ma
nGuyrcs, and wound up By eeremoni.
ous rehearsal Of the part they were to play
in The grand review next day.
Although this company exhibited the
elite OF our regimcnta splcndors, glitter.
ing with tinsel and 1Auntiug with feath-
ers, more Heterogeneous and unsoldierlY
parade could scarcely be immagined.
There were the elect from the mountains,
hHS NNiHNNiAhSa Ahattuch W AuS iIuueE-
vous barefoot, carrying thier boots aud
soldier clothes in bundle the ambitious
cobblers, tailors, and ploughboys from
crossroad hamlets and remote rural dis.
tricIs, short, tall fat, skinny, bow
legged, sheep-shanked, cock-eyed, hump
shouldered and sway-backed--equipped
by art as economically, awkwardly and
yariously as they were endowed by ma
ture, uniformed In contempt Of all uni.
formily, armed with old flint-lock
muskets, horsemen's carbiues, long squir-
rel rifles, doubled -barrelled shot-guns,
bellmuzzled blunderbusses with side-arms
of as many different patterns, from the
old dragoon sabre that had belonged
TO Harry Lees Legion, to the slim-baskel-
hited rapier which had probably graced
the thigh of some of our French allies in
the revolution. The officers oftbe volun-
teer companies, on the other hand, were
generally selected for their handsome APP
pearance and martial bearing, and shone
with certain elegance Of equipment,
each in the uniform pertaining to his
company. There was a sprinkling of ex-
veterans of 1912 recognizable by certain
martinez precision in their department,
and shadow of contempt for their crude
comrades, but quick TO resent any extran-
eous comment derogatory to the service.
A city dandy who undertook TO ridicule
the old.fashioned way in which some of
the officers carried their swords, was
sienced by the snappish reply; Young
man, Pye, seen the best troops of Great
Britain beaten by men who carried their
swords in that way.
This htrlequinade of equipment, cos
tune, and character was duly paraded
twice a day, marched through the streets,
and put through its manguvres on the
green common adjoining our village,
much to the satisfaction of all emanci-
pated school boys, negroes, ragamufiins,
idlers, tavern keepers, and cake and beer
venders, and somewhat, perhaps, to the
WEAKNESS of our Quaker element, indus
trious mechanics who have apprentices TO
manage, and busy housewives who de-
pended on little negroes for help. Then
came the great day Of days, when all
vulgar industry was for the time sus-
pended, and all hopes Of domestic disci-
plne deferred. Even the law students
were constrained to close their commen-
taries on Blackstone, and as they met at
the bar wouln learnedy observe (between
a glass of whiskey and quid of to-
bacco), Inter arma silent leges.
But how we school boys leaped at the
first tap Of the reyclle, eager for the real
ization of our golden dreamsl How
we scanned the eastern horizon
for assurance of a clear day With what
miserly delight we counted over our
stock ofcoppcrs, boarded for the occasion,
and calculated their equivalent in cakes,
beer, aud sticks Of tsiTyl How doubt
fully we considered the worn eiIigy of
Georgius Rex, on coin we had found in
a dirt pile, aud wondered if we could
pass it in old Murquhsrt for a guuger
Then how we watched the dusty roads as
The wild mountaineers came trooping In
10 swell the buzzing swarms already
gathered around the taverns, groceries
and street cornersl And with what sub
lime emotion we mingled with the crowd
saw The plumed heroes hurrying TO aud
fro, as with ceaseless ub.a-dub.dubbing
sound Of buges, waving Of banners, flash
ing Of swords, with the thunder Of the
captains and shouting, this incoherent
aud refractory mob was at length marsh !
llled into some semblance of line OF bat /
lei Then the march s1eld, with its ex-
citing accidents and incidents, several
hours Of tactical manmuyree, such as we
night imagine Sitting Bull and staff
would execute with herd Of bufAloes.
Then the return Of The dusty, thirsty vet /
,rens Of the days campaign, and the flual /
resolution Of martial organization into a
torn Of drunken anarchy and fstieuf
lights. For besides the prescribed mill. /
AIRY duties, il was well understood that
general muster day being reckoned among
he dics nan in civil law, afforded the
,eople convenient opportunity for set .
ling all the standing accounts, jealous.
es, rivAlries, qnsrrels, horse trades, aud
.wiudlers Of the cnrren, year, after their
,wn fashion; and the solution Of thcse
iinieullies by whiskey aud Judicial com
,al was considered quite s. satisfactory
IS resort 70 lawyers, and isr more eco.
iomiesl. For sli, 10 al, Il was day
worthy Of six months esger anticipation
a - IL 4