The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1901-03-13
FaE PRIZE AND FLAG DRILLS
A Fine Exhlbition-sergeant Fish
burne Takes First PrIzs.

The drills last Thursday night at the Ope
ra House by the youog ladies and.tbe Sumter
Light lnfantry were all that could be wished
A full house greeted them when the curtain
arose
The 6sg drill by sixteen young ladies was
given 6r5t They made a beautiful spectacle
each being adoroed in the 0atooal colors AID
carrying q large dag.
The drill consisted of quite number of
we'll executed aud cesuttu figures Espe-
cially pretty we're the Star and the sprai
movements The 6aal figure ss the sq1ad
left tae stage ended iu futter uf red, white
aud clue as each waived her h4g, which made
grand display of our national colors They
received loud and continuous applause, call
ipg them again 10 the stage to repeat the last
part Of their drill. It would be jolog ali an
injustice to say that one did better than the
rest They all acquitted themselves with
homo: and did credit to their city. Este-
cially handsome were the costumes worn, the
skirts beng of red. eod the waists of olne
and white. The following young ladies took
part ic the dr,ll: Misses Rast, Lopez, Arnett,
Suumersoa, Keels, Oateeu, Lucille and Edna
Hughson, LsAot,s, Sanders, DuBose, Shu-
ford, Gibson, Folsom, Yeadoa and Kate
| Pollock.
The drill by the squad from the Sumter
Light Infantry was fine exhibition o. pre-
6ciency in the handling of arms. The squad
of tweosy.one men were arranged in semi
circle 10 the following order: Yeadon,
Fisbburne, Witherspoon, Bradford, Murray,
Cunmiogs, ". q Pate, Jr., q Pate, NJ.
Sanders, aoys, Burgess, Bradley, Boyle,
Barrett, Flowers, Moore, R Sanders, Gail
lard, Gillespie, Auld and Noise. Lieut.
Fisbburue who had charge of the drill. and
the judges, Col H. T Thompson, OF CoIum.
bia and Capt. William Keith, of Tiumons.
viIles stood within the semi-circle. Lieut..
Fishburne gave the commands 10 steady,
! distinct voice.
After few minutes drilling rest was
taken and ten mea we're dropped to the
rear. They were called out by their numbers.
aud at the next rest four more. There were
only three men Jeff, Messrs K Sanders, Fish
buroe and Hoyt. Hoyt was dropped next,
aud for several minutes the two remaining
gave beautiful drill in the manual IF arms.
Then the drtli closed, the audience not knowA
ing which of the two had Won the 6rsl prize.
After few minutes the entire squad reap
pesred 90 the stage sud Lieut.. Fishourne
announced that the prizss had been WOO as
| follows:
First. Sergeant John Fisbburpe: Second,
&. D. Sanders; Third, Hugh Hoyt The
winners were called forward, and The follow
ing young Ladies pinned on the medals in the
order of the winners above given Misses
jennie Gibson, Pauline Sanders aud Gussle
Keels
Col Thompson made short complinen-
tory speech to the young ladies and gentle
men, the only trouble being it was too short
! The Second Regiment Band furnished some
! excellent music which was enjoyed by ell.
| Altogether tae performance was one Of the
most pleasant events ever undertakec 10 this
| city.
Mach credit is due to Major b F. Wilson,
captain of the company, for the manner 10
whicn he has drilled his meo. 90 made
every effort to make the drill success and
the drilling of both young ladies aud geo:le
men showed his careful attebtiop to the mat
/ ter. he should feel proud of his company,
the Sumter Light Infantry.
The gold medal offered by Capt. Wilson
| for the best drilled man was presented to the
| winner of the 6rst p.izs on Thursday nighs.
Sergeant John Fishourne This medal will
remain the property of the wiuser, while the
other three medals belong to the company
and s-e drilled for every year.