Western liberal. (Lordsburg, N.M.) 1887-1919, 1896-07-03
A GEORGIA COLONEL.

mountain lnaJ Do o~-httaudA0
Of tho state line which divides Georgia
and Tennessee, ard Is one Of the most
noted characters Of that mountain re-
giou.
In the seventies Colonel Mills was a
Republican, residing in Atlanta, and
ran for congress ON tho Republican tick
et about the time of the political up
heaval that brought on such radical
changes in tho state government. He
was a victim Of existing circumstances,
and without waiting until the ballots
were counted no gave up the fight in
disgust.
Not long afterward he removed to the
remote corner Of the commonwealth
where he now resides and possessed him
self Of the historic town Of Red Clay,
including the ancient council house
whore Andrew jackson and the chiefs
of the Cherokees met for the last time
preparatory to the removal Of the tribes
to their new territory in the west. He
is full of anecdotes, and his stories car
ry II back to the days Of the old Geor-
gia militia, of which he was one Of tho
commanding officers.
II shall never forget, " said no one
day, "my first experience as a drillmas-
ter. L was elected captain Of a company
down in Cobb county, the muster roll Of
which included the warliko denizens Of
the forest depths in the neighborhood Of
Lost mountain. Hunters, traders, trap
pers, squatters and crackers of low de-
gree were included in this ~organiza-
efata I-r,1vT eIn - ur,,k,- 80 NIa $500,
that / had to deal with, and as my fa-
thor was Major General Enoch r. Mills,
then commanding the justly celebrated
Georgia militia, l felt that l must keep
up tho dignity of my Office by arraying
myself not only in authority, but in all
the gorgeous habiliments of q high off,
cial in the Georgia militia.
81 called to mind an old friend of my
fathers, Captain Howell, who lived
over in Gwinnett county and who had
recently resigned the command Of his
company. He possessed a gorgeous uni
form, with the most fetching epaulets
that / ever behold, and 1 made mp my
mind that ! would apply TO him for tho
loan of his paraphernalia to wear at my
first drill, which was to occur on the
following Friday. 1t was in the heat Of
tie summer, after crops were laid by, so
l mounted my gray pony and rode TO
the homo of Captain Howell, who ex-
tended to me an exceedingly warm re-
coption. Lend you my cont and epau-
letsi' raid no when / told my mission.
OF course I will. Twill do anything for
the son Of General Mills, who is my
warm personal friend, sir, / am proud
to say. Try on the coat and let us see
how it fits. Aha, it is tho very thing.
Take it, with my compliments, sir, epau-
lets and all, and may You wear it with
tho same distinguished honor with
which your esteemed father has won the
uniform Of a major general of the Geor-
gia militia, sir. Here is my sash, also,
sir. And he handed mo a silken sash as
long as a fence rail, with a gold fringe
on it like an old fashioned window cur
tain. After bidding him an affectionate
adieu, l mounted the gray pony aud
started back home.
Hold on there shouted Captain
Howell after 1 had ridden a few PAGES.
Here is something else that you will
need, Captain Mills And he overlook
me and handed me a copy of SCOTS tao
tics. l present you with this, sir, as the
highest authority in the land. It has
been carefully compiled by General
Winfield Scott after the most approved
methods and usagcs Of the greatest com
manders of the age, sir. 1t is above and
beyond all statutory law and is second
and subservient only to the constitution
Of the United States, sir. Only follow
its instructions and carry out its regu-
lations and your future is assured, Cap
tain Mills.'
with the uniform and sash carefully
packed in my saddlebags and that copy
Of Scott's tactics in my left hand l rode
of down the winding road in the direc-
tion of Lost mountain, where the oiti-
zen soldiers Of my command were pur-
suing their peaceful avocations. A cas-
ual inspection of tho cover of tho book
showed me a military officer in full reg
imentals, and as / opened il and began
reading my heart swelled and my bosom
gQwed with military enthusiasm and
patriotic ardor.
about 3 o'clock In the afternoon l ar
rived in the heart of the forest around
IOst ana IL occurred 10 me
that as 1 had never drilled a accompany of
soldiers / ought to engage in some pre-
liminary tactics and not make a display
Of my ignorance to the men whom 1 OK
pected some day to lead to glory. So l
turned aside into the forest, and after
riding for 200 or 700 yards through the
densest woods 1 ever saw / dismounted
at the root Of a fallen tree and tied my
pony.
"Divesting myself Of my coat, l put
on the emblazonod and epauletted gar
ment presented to me by Captain How
ell aud invested myself with the glow
ing sash and its tinseled tassels floating
in the wind. Taking position close to
the fallen tree, where 1 thought IL
would be utterly impossible for any one
to come upon me without my discover
ing his approach, / assumed a naughty
and commanding posture, and with a
copy Of Scott's tactics opened in my
hand l began drilling the imaginary
squadron.
"'Carry ahmsr l called in stento-
H.. 80.