The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-03-17

| that its attractive name would imply.
| At the tal.regulated distance of two miles
was New Salem, town of dozen houses, built
| side by side, prim-like awell- regulated row of
| pins Still short distance nearer to Gettys-
| burg was another mail station, called by the
few astronomically inclined, the Pleiades; but
mail, to insure delivery wasRddressed to Seven
Stars. The inhabitants of these three villages
and of the surrounding country were, in the
main. patriotic and loyal, though here and
there was a man to whose name the suggestive
| addition of Copperhead" was quietly, but
securely, attached by hissneighbors.
When Sumter had fallen, the patriotic boys
in the neighborhood of these three villages met
together in what they called orally" and
organized home guard company for border
! defense.
"Boys," said the local orator upon that occa-
sion, we haven't got any book on tctacs, and
don't exactly know how to 60 about this thing
of gittin' !, lot of men to walk around like clock
work, an don't know as We'll have time to tend
| to such tomfoolery, any how, for the rebels may
march upon us here any day. but we want to
! git organized SO as to defend ourselves against
traitors, an stand together under the ole Stars
| and Stripes
| At this jjuncture there was an emphatic hiss
in the crowd, and an abrupt swell of voices in
which nothing was plain but excitement and
disapproval, and in the crush that followed a
man, who had long been marked as a South
cited men, and despite his frantic struggles to
free himself by making diligent resistance with
kicks and cuffs, was tossed to and fro like a
ball, over strong shoulders, while cries of Sop
| perhead! F." "Give it to him! !" "Tar and feath-
ers!" were strong incentives for his few friends
to get him out of the way. He was hustled
into the hotel and out by the back door.
When order was finally resumed, the speaker
| again stood up on the store-box, and the wO-
men and Children who had disappeared when
the row began, again gathered on the front
veranda and at the windows and the speaker
continued:
"AlT You that want to join in and take the
chances, git together in the middle of the road"
! AT this invitation the majority of the young
men grouped themselves together in the mid
die of the road One of them called out:
Say, is this to be a cavalry or foot COM
pany?"
AS the result of this query there was a par
ley, earnest and divided in sentiment, but the
two factions-who were all neighbors together
| and anxious to accommodate their friends
| finally compromised on this basis: Cavalry
company, to drill on foot"
Well, said the speaker, when he had an
nounced this decision, guess it will DO all
| right, an if Uncle Sam don't like it, he ken
strighten you out to suit himself. Pick out
| your Capting."
This part Of the ceremony had evidently
been anticipated. In a few moments a man
| stepped out from among them whose genial
good fellowship, wit, and love of fun and ad-
venture had long since won him the favor of
the boys and whose undaunted courage his
older neighbors had recognized by calling him
a daredevil" His knowledge of military
affairs extended to his having seen a drill once
or twice, but as ali the men were eager to begin,
he stood them in a row ON one side Of the road,
where they faced the hotel.
80 Now then - aaia the Eapfain when 7 eav
one, two, three. you all walk toward me, and
keep step together"
Zone, two, three" They all started together
promptly, but some steps were short, some long,
some medium and before they were half way
across the road the line looked like saw teeth
in broken section. After repeated efforts and
as many failures, the Captain INDUCED in an
officers liberty to swear, and ended his en-
phatic censure by saying: Yes; there you
are, just like y0u was before you listed" Then
he tried them the "right-oblique," which
he translated in this wise.
" March off sideways to the right"
Their tribulations in the process of evolution
from raw to seasoned military material is
understood and remembered by every veteran,
| often with pathos, often with laughter. 1t did
not, however, wear out their ambition nor
dcmoraize their patriotism. They figured
honorably In border defense, in a local way,
during Jeb Stewards" raid. and the majority
of them were afterward merged into the 21st
Pa. Cav under command of Maj. Robert Bell,
of Gettysburg. One Of their number, young
man named Sandoe was thc first soldier who
lost his life at Gettysburg. AT a Reunion of the
2lst Pa. Cav. some time ego, a resolution was
passed to petition the legislature of Pennsyl-
vana for funds to erect a monument to his
memory.
Some Of their individual experiences rival
Isl Klegg's" A half dozen of them fought
the first battle fought in Pennsylvania, and
whipped the rebels, too; but, singularly enough,
the great historians of the civil war make no
mention Of it. Perhaps It's as well, for their
cold, matter fact pen-and-ink can throw no
such light and shadow and CLEAN and halo as
that of the campfre's light upon the history of
| the Home Guards.-LIzzIE J. BELLER, Perth,
| Kan.