Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-10-16
REBEL YELL BY THE MAYOR
A Feature of the Military Outing
at East Lake.
THE SOLDIERS SHOT GUNS
And the Guests Fired Speeches = Result of the
Workmanship Contest "A Day
of Pure Enjoyment.

of Pure Enjoyment.
Yesterday was gala day in local mill
tary circles 1t was the day for the semi
annual meeting of the Birmingham bat
talon of the Second regiment, Alabama
state troops, to contest for the Mercer
medal and also for positions in the sharp
shooters corps.
The Birmingham battalion consists of
Companies c, G, K and L, or better
known, Woodlawn light infantry Jeffer
son volunteers, Birmingham rifles and
Huey guards. These four companies are
among the pick of Alabama's citizen SOL
diery, and Birmingham and her suburbs
are proud of them.
Long before the day for the contest
special invitations had been rendered the
mayor and board of aldermen, governors
staff and press, also Troop ID, to be pres
ent with the battalion and participate in
the good cheer to be offered OH the occa-
sion and to witness the contest for SUI
premacy on the rifle range.
Yesterday was an ideal day for the
military, and early the several infantry
companies, or as many of them as could
get away from business duties. assembled
at their respective armories and prepared
for the ride to the tented field at East
Lake.
Troop d, Lieutenant Morson in COM
mand, mounted and with carbines and
sabres, rode to the rendesvouz, while the
infantry companies and invited guests
went out on electric cars.
Shortly after 10 o'clock the targets were
set up and Maj. e. l.. Higdon gave the
order for target practice to begin. The
sharp cracks of rifles were soon heard
reverberating through the hills as one by
one the contestants toed the mark.
The contest, so far as first honor was
concerned fell to the Huey guards, Pri-
vate f.. M. Gibson leading by a score of
20 out of a possible rs.
The ten scoring the best figures was as
follows:
Private E. M. Gibson, L.................20
Private A. r. Bowden K...............17
Private Ed Warren, G..................1 Is
Capt. Ed Warren, c.. ...............13
Lieut.. E. l.. Ledbetter, K...............12
Lieut. l.. c. Brown, K...................12
Private b. Wilson, K....................11
Private l.. Ellard, L........ ............11
Private d. c. Cantelou, C.......,.....,.11
Maj. E. l.. Higdon....,... .............10
For the place occupied by Maj. T.. l..
Higdon there were ten ties and in the
shoot-off he and Private Phillips, of Com
pany G., made a score of II each Three
shots were fired by each to decide the
matter and Major Higdon scored II and
Private Phillips 6.
Private Gibson, by virtue of his skill in
shooting, becomes captain of the Sharp
SHOOTERS corps, uHu MAY wen leel PROUD
of his position, as in his corps are one
major one captain and two lieutenants,
all under his command.
The contest was not concluded in the
forenoon and a 80 o'clock y. m. the or
der to cease firing was given and the SOL
diers and guests repaired to the neigh
boring forest, where bountiful spread,
consisting of well prepared barbecued
meats, bread, salads, buttermilk, with
and without FOAM and water, was served
rfCl,t hot UVs.1 tlax
commander in charge of this important
feature of the days programme. Each
and every one present ate and drank to
their hearts content and then for half
hour jokes and jests were in order.
Major Higdon then announced the re-
suit of the mornings shoot, after which
speechmalsing was in order.
Capt. j. p. Mudd of the cavalry was
first called upon. He responded on behalf
of Troop d and pledged for them the
hearty cooperation of every member of
the rank and file in making the Second
regiment the pride of the fair southland.
He thanked the battalion for their kind
1y invitation to be present and promised
a graceful return of the compliment in
the near future.
Three cheers and tiger were given for
Troop ID.
Hon D. A. Greene, chairman of the
democratic county campaign committee
and member-elect of the state Legislature,
was next called upon.
He said he had been invited to be pres
ent to eat, drink and be merry, all of
which he had done, and had not prepared
a speech He promised to give cognizance
to any measure looking to the relief or
betterment of the Alabama state troops
while In the legislative halls, and asked
that he be called upon when needed.
Hon. l.. Y. Lipscomb, member of the
legisla ture, was the next speaker. He,
too promised that as in the past, he
would in the future ever hold himself in
readiness to serve Alabama'S citizen SOL
diery in the Legislative halls.
Three cheers and tiger were given for
Jefferson's representatives.
Col. o. b. Collins an old war horse.
was called upon, and, supported by two
boys in blue, he thanked the boys for
their grateful remembrance of an old
Confederate and Mexican war veteran.
He hoped they would never be called
upon to go to the front as he had been
called upon to do in the days Of 1S61-65.
Being an invalid he did not speak at
great length.
The speaker was given a rousing
cheer.
Hon. C. F. Enslen a member of the
aldermanc board. was called for. The
speaker said he came to America in 1885,
and the next year Joined an Alabama
company and marched to the front and
served in the Mexican war. He was af-
terward for six years a member of an
Alabama company of the state troops.
When the. tocsn was sounded in 1861 he
again shouldered musket and marched
to the front. He served through those
days when youth and old age We're not
spared. He prayed God that the citizen
soldiery of Alabama would never be call
ed upon to go through such carnage.
Alderman John Ward was placed on
the block, and said he had ate too much
to speak well He was a friend to the
soldier boys and was always ready to aid
them.
Mr. Harry Mercer, "the best friend the
Alabama state troops ever had" as Major
Higdon said in introducing him, thanked
the boys in blue for calling on him, but
having suffered paralytic stroke recent
". was not able to speak. He said how
ever he had never been shot in the
neck"
Major Higdon was the next speaker
He spoke of the troops, and of how proud
he was of them.
The State Herald was called upon
through its representative. p. Cosminsky.
He thanked the soldiers for their kindly
invitation extended the paper to be pres
ent, and assured the battalion that the
Of he ha Mt uypr