The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1903-09-29

LE r. S'''A ''N+ i'ct-Oil~.
s-,-r because it was a day off from the
,..uhaudIas, and therefore a holiday TO
-. how. secondly, because l liked to see
.E. men muster" and lastly, because
.". Mrs. Stokes and old Mrs. Smith. two
...- motherly old ladies who stood very
-...r i'm the estimation of the small boy.
.,..erallv carried a chest full, each, of
..s,er cakes; to say nothing of the
u.-crmeIons a small boy would fall heir
.. I'M watermelon season. | acquired most
-. nv martial spirit from the stories
beard from my old colored nurse, whose
,r.aIlcctions run back into the latter days
.. the eighteenth century, and who could
entertain We children by the hour, telling
Pile. If those stirring times when "Old
F,.-tpr-" and the Young Masters" went
II. the wars. and "Old Mistress" and the
Young Mistress" would cling to them
and cry when going away, but how happy
al were on their return, and used to
mink how nice it would be to be a nan
and 20 to the war, too. And so very
early IN life l took the greatest delight
.a Going to the ''musters."
A. am writing of we olden times. I
might as we'll give a description of the
uId time way our State militia performed
their military uulleS. lIlcy ndu company,
battalion. regimental and general musters.
A company was made up of all males be
tween the ages of eighteen and forty-five,
who lived within the bounds of a certain
territory. and, as my recollection serves
me. a company was required to muster
every three months. The law required
that all the men in ranks should carry
firearms or pay a fine. A good many
.E-,- hhJ ia a., ,1 IT, -;{11. 144-
Of the flint and steel kind-and these were
frequently used III the place of rifles and
shot guns, to meet the requirements of
the law, as to having firearms. The
pistol generally had stuck into its muzzle
a corn stalk, walking cane or umbrella,
to give 1t length. and it was a sight, to
which a circus would be a tame show, to
see a company going through the manual
Of arms with such improvised weapons.
Sometimes the pistol, in ordering and
shouldering arms, would slip from the
corn stalk and fall to the ground, and the
unlucky soldiers would cry out: "Hold
on till I get my gun fixed" The captain
and the lieutenants were required to be
uniformed, but no new uniforms were ever
bought. The uniforms they wore had
come on down from the days of the Re
NttItiICIi, III ISSd1d1 SuCCeSS1Ol- HltIl al
new officer was elected he would get the
uniform of his predecessor. Sometimes,
but those cases were rare, the coat and
pants fitted, and the new officer cut a
swell in the old clothes, but in most
cases, the uniforms were either too large
or too small.
1t was a funny sight to see a great
big two hundred FOUNDER, with a stomach
that could not be compressed, and whose
height was equal to that of Saul, the son
OF Kish, strutting at the head of his com
pany with his pants coming to about the
top Of his socks while his coat, after he
had used a buck-skin laclng string, lack
ed a foot or more of meeting over his
breast, and the sleeves reaching to just
below the elbow. But what cared he?
He was captain and he was uniformed,
and the uniform he wore had the impress
OF honorable age, whether it fitted or not.
As for the drilling | need only say that
II a small boy was anywhere near by when
a right or left wheel was ordered, he
stood in danger of being run over, for
Texas cattle could hardly get into worse
confusion than followed such an order.
Sometimes the company would keep
a wheeling until the two wings would
meet. Notwithstanding the repeated com
mand to halt! Then the sergeant would
try 10 get the men into line again, and
he would say: Look to the right and
drcss.' One fellow would say: Cant
dress here, too many women about" An
other would say: Il dressed before l left
bone Then, in a stentorlan voice would
come the commando: "Silence in ranks
When some fellow would sing out: Nov
you've got it jim; if you don't stop that
Windmill O. yourn the cap'n will chaw
You up and swallow you" He might do
the c~hawlng, but, from his appearance /
DON'T think he has any storage room, to
spare; he is about to bust now" A laugh
followed, in which the captain was Obliged
l" JON, when it was moved and carried
THAT the captain should buy Bill Jones
bowl Of cider and treat the crowd. Where
upon 1t was declared, in martial tones,
mat the next regular muster would take
place three months from that day on the
same grounds, and unless all were pres
eAt, at the roll call, armed and equipped
according to law, they would be fined tic
The iulI extent thereof; and, with a Whoop
Inc ranks broke to partake Of Bill Jones
'n'er TO which the captain was going tc
treat.
A regimental or general muster was nc
Improvement on the company muster, as
~ H'e-arms, drill, etc. OF curse order
IT. some extent. prevailed while the colone
VI general was reviewing his troops; but
's Tor marching, / have seen Fayette
''"e street, when d militia brigade was
marching along, in such confusion that II
was impossible for a locker on to tel
'"@1Ief there was any line. for every man
was looking out for himself; and in tht
must OF the confused mass might be
".'I" such expressions as these: Gee
"'. Hlcks!" "Haw, Joe Fuller "Qu'
a''bIIng on my heels, Bill jones' anf
-'''n more Of the same tenor. AS / see
matter now the militia system was a
cN'''sIue but, as l have shown, it had Its
'""y side, and that suited we boys.
long ago as l can remember, Raj
l'7" mad her organized and we'll drilled
ro"I2hies of volunteers. The "Raleigl
'O' ana the Raleigh Rifles had thel
way away back in the ~forties, and, late