Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1912-12-23
" Muster Days. at Old Rich1and
/ as in the Long Ago. ~

the old homestead and FOR many years
they mustered there. My first rec
objection is back in '48 or, 40, but
they had been mastering for, many
years before l could remember. I
was just old enough to climb up on
top of the; ten-rail fence and look at
these old patriots muster. Can't. Geo.
w. Abbott was in command then;
Edward Ballenger was lieutenant,
others do not remember. John w.
Hull was sergeant and called the
roll This was about the years 1848
to 1850. can look back and see
these patriots assembling at the old
muster-ground. l pray they are to-
day camping with the heavenly
hosts on the old mustet-ground and
resting under the shade Of the trees."'
1T would be a wonderful sight for the
present generation to see these old
men muster In with the old-time tao
SA>o' AhSJ Wouiu ulSSJ 10 muster
three or four times year, all armed
with old fllnt-lock rifles and muskets;
shot bags made Of deer skins, coon,
otter, fox and mink skins. All we're
made by their own hands and look
ed fine to me. They would begin to
assemble at or 9 o'clock, and by 10
those having gotten there first would
be shooting their rifles at marks for
beef or turkey: Many fine rifle
shots were there. They would kill
and divide nice beef, and all shoot
for the quarter and hide. They would
make up money enough and all shoot
for the beef, then pay the man for
the beef, and at 10 o'clock they
would all be on hand. Capt. Geo. w.
Abbott would call out to Sergeant
John w. Hull to "form the COM
pany," which he would do. This
done, Capt. Abbott would tell him
to call the roll. Now, dear readers,
| will call the roll as I so often heard
Mr. Hull call it. There was large
company then, but to the best Of my
recollection there is only one men,
Der Of this old company now living
DANIEL s. Hull, Of Westminster.
There were four members just a few
years ago. They we're Rev. w. w.
Abbott, M. B. Dendy and Franklin
Graham. D. S. Hull Is now the only
living member Of this historic old
Richland company.
AS I promised to call the roll
please go with me and you will see
what manner of men and patriots
lived and died for this country. Lis
ten to the roll-call as it was called
more than SO years ago-sad, sad in
deed, Is 1t to me to call this roll, as
two Of my brothers. as well as many
Of my old friends, are among the
dead. John w. Hull will now call
the roll: Jacob Abbott, Willis w.
Abbott, James Abbott, Jephtha Alb
bott, Lewis Abbott, ELAN Abbott.
Wilkes Gilbert, JEFF Gilbert, joseph
G. Steele, Warren D. Perry, Wilburn
Perry. William Perry, Doran A. Kay,
Newton Fl. Jenkins, Thomas Jones,
G. w. Phillips, Josiah Perkins, J. B.
McGuffin, e. S. Foster, Fl. Duff Nc
Donald, Alfred Mcdonald, Calvin Nc
Donald, Ephraim Mcdonald, John w.
Hull, Daniel S. Hull, Thomas Hull,
James Hull, M. B. Dendy, w. H.
Dendy, Austin McFetridge,; Henry
Gooden, d. r. Doyle, Rhodom Doyle,
James A. Doyle, William Doyle, ST.
mon Doyle, o. M. Doyle, Charles w.
Hunt, Samuel Hunt, John Lumkin,
Thomas Lumkm, James Keaton.
John Keaton, Solomon Dalton,
Thompson Tolleson, John Lee, David
Lee, Dan Gordon, John Gordon, w.
W. StTibl!ng, Oliver Martin, France
Mason, John Mason, Asa Mason,
Bobby Harris, Patrick Miller, Frank
lin Graham, James Graham, Thomas
Graham, Wesley Graham, James
Burns, Joseph Burns, Kit Burns, Al
len Burns, George Harvey, Bartley
Harvey, Edward Ballenger, Nat