The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-02-14
CAPT. WOODALL RAISING
HIS HICKORY POLE IN 1910
Story of an Excursion to Haw River by the Military
The Old Time Regimenta Parades in Raj
eigln When the Writer Was Boy.

were, Jney marched out, ieoNiAS 1hS At'ii''
| lamb, sheep and mutton and the stale
| corn bread pretty much as they found
them. Of course all ate some. if Il piece
of the sheep flor it was all Sheep could
b, found that was done enough, tender
| enough and clean enough; for IN some
| dishes there was wool enough to tell the
| color of the sheep.
| Well. We understood that the supper
was to be a swell affair, and so we sol
| diers Gnvited guests as we were), cois0l-
| ed ourselves with the good news that
would now and then come from the hotel
dining room, which was. in effect, that 1t
was being filled with all sorts 0t good
| things, and such supper as we would
all sit down to, had not been seen since
Haw River was a spring branch. That
| good news put some of the boys in such
| fine spirits that a dance was gotten up in
no time to keep things lively until the
supper bell would ring. So, the dancers,
as empty as they We're, seemed to be
jolly enough.
| But all at once, General Trolhnger
made his appearance in the warehouse,
mounted bench and raped for silence
l
| stomach gave attention.
/ Ladies' and gentlemen said he, sup
ner is now ready" Tremendous applause.
1.-THE ladies'" he continued pay moth
ing-gentlemen will pay dollar!
| took a lady and made haste to reach
the dining room ahead of the crowd,
thinking the hungry boys would be pour
ms in like so many half starved cattle
how CfS lIr hut
| had Just taken my seat, and cast my eyes
over the we'll filled table, when I heard
a gun fire off, and the long roll beat;
then The order, "fall in Oak City Guards.
fell upon my ear like death kneli. Hast
ening from the dining room | at once took
in the situation. The captains Of the
three companies, after a hasty ccnsulta
ton. had decided to march their men to
Graham, two miles away, where they
could get supper and better treatment
than they had received there. Soon the
Root Hog or Die" In less than az houl
column was in motion, the band playing
for dispatch had gone ahead of u.s.
we were all seated at various tables In
| Graham, eating ham and eggs, biscuit and
butter, and drinking hot coffee; the hap
plest crowd old Graham ever fed. The
bows could not sleep that night they felt
so good though ample sleeping arrangn
ments were made. The breakfast next
morning was even better than supper the
might before, for in addition to ham ano
eggs we had fried chicken Our bill, when
we were ready to leave the town, had
been paid by the citizens OF Graham, ana
receipted to the senior captain, with chs
invitation annexed: Come again! Om
doors are always open" We took tbs
| train at Graham station and OF course had
| o come by Haw River. AS the train
,tood in front of the hotel the boys show
ed their bad manners by singing to the
,une of Root Hog or Die"
we military boys are off upon spree,
| Came to General Trollinger to get a dlE-
ner free,
Dinner want the thing, then supper was
the cry,
Down with your dollar bill, root hog or
| de-
| I am afraid the boys were a little too
ude that morning, but the Graham peopl
i lad treated them so nicely, and they
| cit so good, having just filled up on ham,
! ggs, fried chicken and the so-torths, they
1 we're hardly responsible for what they
| lid and said General Trollinger 49, not
| how himself while the train halted,
| hough it was said that he heard every
| hing. He made terrible mistake and
| ruined his hotel. AS his conduct was
| Interpreted his idea was to draw big
| roNd there ostensibly to free barbe-
! ue, but in reality to make money on
| he supper out of the three military CON-
anies which he had invited, as well rs
| ut of the people generally, who might
ONE. He had no idea the matter would
axe the turn it did; that, at the last mo-
lent, after the supper bell had rnng, tn,
hree hungry and tired companies woul,
| make Haw River dust from their feet
nd march to Graham for their supper.
| Iut they did.
AS / am talking about the military oi
| he olden time, when, a young man
| marched and went on excursionns with
The boys, l will stop to relate an expert
/, ence | had when very small boy. NV
father was colonel of the militia. and
| once or twice year, there was a regi
fnental muster. l had never witnessed
one, and really had no idea what it was
so, one morning my father said to an
| older brother and me that we might %
with him to Raleigh to the muster if we
| would promise to be good BOYS when we
got there. Of course we promised. and
SO we went. AS l remember, the parade
ground was in the southwest portion OF
the city near where the cotton platform
is, and my father carried us out there
and placed us in good position to wit
| ness the muster. Pretty soon the old
held began to fill up with people, and il
was not long until the companies belong
ing to the regiment began to march out
on the field and take positions Such
drumming and filing and such marching
and counter-marching, wheeling arh twist
ng, and handling of guns made nv ewes
run water to behold. Company after
company marched in, manoeuvered and
matted In position, until, it seemed to nc
me line was mile long. Then, there
was lull, and the men began to squat
down, kneel down. or lie down and talk
laugh and joke. But presently, an ofnccr
said in loud martial voice: Attention,
Men sprang to their feet, shouldered theli
guns, and orderlies, up and down the
line, were saying: Look TO the rign,