Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1894-03-30
An Old Virginia Training Day.

A former citizen of Union, Monroe county,
w. Va, who has visited that town after forty
years absence, is writing to the watch
man, - under the signature of 81. A. F. some
delightful recollections of the people and
customs of the town in his day there. He
says:
We step inside and see the Court of the old
magistrates, while around the bar sits the
tall, smooth-faced commemorative attorney,
John Echols; the portly, affable Gen. Chap
man, and near him the representative whig of
the county, the reserved astute Allen T. Ca
perton. while the little, black-eyed, swarthy,
wiry, Nat. Harrison from the Salt was there
also. That comprised the home bar, while
the adjoining counties were represented by
such men as Samuel Price, Dennis, Gen.
Skeen, Pendleton, and others, some of the
best talent in the State. We do not know the
lawyers that attend there now, but doubt ii
they equal that old set. The old house, the
magistrates, the jailor, the bar, the sheriff,
the iuries, the people,-aIl gone, and new
people and new houses take the place of the
old. The present courthouse is very neat
structure OF modern style and would be
credit to any county, and adds much to the
appearance of that part of town.
We will change our gait here and march
with measured step and keep time across the
street to the music of fife and drum. Allen
Nelson and Henry Shanklin make the music
as they march back and forth across the
street. The music still fingers in our ears;
we turn our vision backward for 40 years and
see Col. Isaac Campbell, Lieut.. Col. Shank
Wo1 i Nj
and the Captains and Lieutenants of the Reg
iment with old continental hats with white
and red feathers in them, and with new uni
forms and red sasheS around their waists
all training for the big muster in April, when
the violets are in bloom. What a feast for
the boys And then the Big Muster-when
the regiment of 1900 men got together draped
in all the CARDS and colors imaginable, cop
peras, butternnt, blackjack, indigo madden,
venetian red, lamp black, &c.,-the rainbow
was nowhere for colOrs while the style of cut
was adorned with knots tied in the corners to
the dress coat ,-''some in rags, and some in
tags, and some in velvet gowns, while the
arms consisted Of canes and umbrellas.
When at last the Regiment was instructed
that they were expected to march to Royal
Oak field and told to turn aro"nd that way
with fife and drum in front away they went
every man walking his own step, while the
field officers with spirited horses took the
whole road in front. The horses, excited at
the music, were first on one end and then on the
other, but always side ways. After they were
finally landed in the field by Scott's tactics
guard was placed in field and no outsider
was allowed to leave the fence more than
about ten feet under penalty Of arrest It
was great day with the old Aunties to bring
in pies and ginger-cakes and molasses beer
After days drilling the Regiment was dis
missed, until the next April. While there APP
peared nothing war-like in the Regiment then.
the time did come when many of those same
men made real and brave soldiers, when I'M
der the training Of Lee and jackson they b,r
came part of that noble Army of Northern
Virginia, ''the best infantry In the world"
(Uncle Billy Carlisle was one of those old
time Captains)