The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-09-28
EMANCIPATION DAY.
now 1T WAS CELEBRATED yyES.
TERDAY. 80.
A Competitive Drill In Which the Su,
periOr Company Lost Through
Incompetent Commanders.

db " " strangers DolnK present In the
city to assist in the festivities arranged
for the occasion. Twelve o'clock was
the hour announced for the process
sion to m We down Main stree, but
long before tina, hour crowds of col
ored people ansytd in holiday stlire
tLronged Main street and the
principal thoroupfares leading To-
10 it, and Court Square was
packed with them. About o'clock
the sound of music coming from the
direction OF Beale, announce the
coming of the procession, and Son
the curb was lined with sptc at rs.
The parade was in come measure dis
app Uniting. 1t embraced the Mem
phis Zou4ves, the Langstol Rifles, OF
Nashv lie, an artillery company, a
sable Goddess of Liberty sitting in
state in hack, two veg ms
containing thirty,eight little Urls
d essed 10 white and decorated
with the national colors, and a
line OF carrisges containing distin-
guishe1 ro,ored citizens from this and
other c.tes. After marching through
the principal streets the pio,e zion re-
paired to the Citizens Pa k where, at
4 o'clock pm a competitive drill was
held in the preser ce OF at least 5000
Colored people Cf both sexts and a |
ages. The judges selec ed were Col.
W. &, Cur.ey, of Nashville, CJlone ell
commanding the Frst Tennessee
Regiment, and Ii utenants Lucin
Clapp and Kel!ar Ander, on of
the Chickfs Nv Guards. The Compel
ing companies were the Lanpston
r hss Of Nashville and the Memphis
u uaves. The former company was
the fl st 10 appear on the field, and as
tn y ma ched into view to the lively
music OF the baud they we've wei
coined 10y the audience with round
and round of applause. They did not
pre- seat very attractive appearance.
Their uniforms are of the fatigue or.
der, and consisted of light blue pants
arc dark blue oas and cII 8 somewh t
the worse for wear Under the terms
OF the contest inspection YVES waived
or they would have suffer d ss-
verely. The dill was without ro-
gramme aud each captain COM
mauded his company at his own twee
will, putting them through such evo.
lutions as gu t:d him, the judges TAX
ing notes busily of the go a. you piles SO
affair, and they were kept huslling.
The drilling OF the Langst1n Riff
was very poor aud elici,e 10 tn
thusiasm Their manual was ragged,
their marching irregu ar, and their
entire work loo.e and amateur
ish. They were, however, c)m-
pared with what followed, we'll
differed, and this feature stood
them in go I'd stead when ii Q re-
salt WIS summed up, When the Mem
CHS Zousv1s ma ched on the field
their appearance was the signal for
tumultuous shout that cams from 5000
Threats, all cheering in unison, ald
men stood Up and waved their hats
while the women clapped heir hsnds
and waved their hsndk5rthiefs. II
was recsL ton that must have had
an inspiring feet on the Y uaves, for
they depoltsd Themselves in true mil
itary style, and as they marched past the
grand stand in their handsome and
well KEEP. uniforms they presented a
fine appearance. Their drilling sur.
pa sd that CT their competitors IN ev-
cry tiCular-in marching, in the
manual and in soldierly be ring. Yet
they lost the drill through the blum
ders Of their officers. The jutg
agree d to gauge the mer Is OF the two
companies by the pauCily of errors
made, the company making the least
number Of errors to receive the
award. Under this test the
Memphis company fai ed. They
put up better Individual and com
psny drill than the Nashville com.
pauy. The manual by the numbers
and without the numbers YVES de-
cidedlv better. The same may be
said of the slignmsnis AID wheel
movements, and OF their general ap-
pearanc'. The CONDITIONED officers
betrayed marked incompetsncy and
COS their company the drill. The
captain, NJ. G. Jones, made fifty cap
tains' errors, each captains error being
equiva ent 10 five in dividsl errors. The
ii utsnsnts wer5 little better. Among
the M 81 noticeable errors tf Capt.
Jones was his omis7ion, in almost every
instance, 10 call his guide in platoon
movements. The same may be said
of the ieu'enants. In commanding
platoons right or eft into line wheel,
the cep ain would say, proceed with
the march" instead OF continue the
march, etc. He frequently gave COM
mands to rear marcn fiom tours
and ftom halt In company or pla-
toons right or leftabout he would
command forward march, instead Of
calling his guide. His commands
right and left front into line and Cd
right and left into line were incorrect.
Nor did he at any time properly drets
his company. At the command pla-
toons right or left wheel, the lieuIen-
acts failed to halt or dress their pla-
toms. In pla.oons right and left into
line wheel, the lieutenants would halt
their platoons, and give the command
right or left dress, instead OF The cap.
tain.
The commissioned officers vera con-
tinual y prompting and talk 'ng to their
men. The first sergeant made the
error OF almost continually calling the
step.
These are among the prominent er-
rors scored against the Memphis COM
pany, their tcta number of err rs
footing up 3a45 against 1893 by the
Langs,on Rifles. That sort of com
will Kill any company ia the
world, and the u uaves are 10 be COM
mis.rated in havipg been 81 badly Of
licered, when they themselves put up
20 good drill.
After the drilling sham battle and |
dress parade were gwen, at the con-
,lusion of which the large concourse
fled out of the grounds.
The days festivities were concluded
BY picnic at T. tival Park, where
lsncing and general hilarity was the