Montour American. (Danville, Pa.) 1866-1920, 1902-06-26

As we sat there and were again
brought to some semblance OF line, the
captain remembered that he had not
yet appointed his full complement Of
noncommissioned officers. The cOmpa-
ny was entitled to eight sergcants and
eight corpOrals, of whom only five ser
geants had been designated, and one
of these had been sent to the rear by
my horse OF corporals we had none.
"Who loaded those pistolsE" asked
the captain.
"Cloyne, Hamilton and Frost" re
piled the first sergeant.
"And Bralnard," said from the left.
"Cloyne," said the captain, you will
act as sergeant; Hamilton, sergeant
and commissary; Frost
How did my jacket buttons succeed
in holding in my heart during that
glorious second of anticipation? for
got every annoyance and disappoint-
ment of the past. Military ability,
even If only displayed in loading re
volvers was to be recognized and re
warded. The captain was a splendid
fellow wanted to order three cheers
for him at once, but just then famil
lar grating voice rose from the center
OF the line.
"a was promised to be sarjint mesilf
Didn't | recruit sivinteen min?'
so you did, McTwyny," said the cap
tain. looking at the ruttian n moment
before he spoke. ''WeIl, you shall be
the remaining sergeant. Frost, first
corporal; Brainard, second cOrporaT-
The captain continued through the
list Of corporals. and my heart sank.
Twas better to be corporal than pri-
vate, but to have had my expected hon
or snatchcd from me by some one else,
and that somebody Mick McTwyny-to
have Mick for my official superior! oh,
It put my spirits to flight, and some of
my patriotism tried to 10 with them.
Sergeant McTwyny to his post"
shouted the captain.
Down beside me came Mick MCTwy-
uy. Oh, If he had but been there when
first arrived and his leg instead of
the other sergeant's had been broken
by my horse. Still he was there now,
and so was my horse. could hope.
From the parade ground, where the
colonel and adjutant sat mounted. a
bugle blew the ASSEMBLY" the signal
for forming line.
"Atten- tiOnw the captain rOared.
Sergeant CIoync. front! You will
command the third platoon. From the
right count fours."
"One. two, three. four; one two.
three, four" ran down the line In rapid
succession.
"Forwardw blew the colonel's bugler
"Fours right, march, shouted the
captain. "TO the left, march,
We Obeyed orders as well as we could
according to the tactics in which we
had been drilled on foot. Between the
tops Of the tents we could see the other
companies filing out of their respective
streets and forming column in the road
in front Of camp. There was some
trouble and great deal of profanity,
which began to seem an army necessi-
ty, as different captains endeavOred TO
take place in column according to
seniority and were hindered by other
captains whose lines of march crossed
their own. Some of the men in the
newer companies got dreadfully mixed
up and made a lot of trouble before
they were set to rights, for they were
not accustomed to horses, much less to
riding Finally, however, the whole
force was in columns of fours in the
road, and when the adjutant, learning
this by galloping down the fianks, sig
nailed the colonel the latter had his
bugler once more sound Forward"
Forward" repeated the bugle Of
each of the II companies.
"Forwardw shouted each captain.
With a confused trample of horses
hoofs, clank of sabers, rattle Of car
bines, jingle of spurs, a tumble Of
Whoa "Git up" "G'lOng!" and
"Durn yer from the recruits and in a
great halo Of dust the regiment was off
And yet ia regiment two-thirds
Of whose men had never seen their
horses until that morning and half Of
whose recruits had never before been
on horseback, who had to have their
pistols loaded for them and who had
never been drilled together nor taught
even the simplest company movements
on horseback!
Well, twas the way with hundreds
of other regiments during the earlier
years of the war, and twas nobody's
fault apparently. AS a nation we could
bring men together faster than we
could arm and drill them. Fortunately
for us, our neighbors at the south were
having the same i'll luck