The Cordele dispatch. (Cordele, Ga.) 19??-1971, 1916-10-04
BY j. D. P ate

In years past and gone it was GUS
tom,or it may have been a law, to have
drills to keep the militia in readiness
for emergency But as time passed
The people became careless about this
duty The militia was composed of men
letween the ages of sixteen and forty
i've years of age. In times Of peace
here was not any use for these mill
tary drills and those whose business
it was to look after them became care
less and had almost lost sight of it.
However away back in the time of
John Browns raid their eyes began
10 open and this militia drilling was
qgitated again.It was a duty that some
body had to perform, if it was done at
all, and there were only very few
men in those days that felt capable to
undertake it. ,...,,.. ., ,,,,,o., ,,,,c
There was a certain man i. the counz
ty by the name of James Calf, better
known then as Sterling Gaff And old
Sterley always liked little notorlety
md had little knowledge Of military
drills that seemed to be so dreaded
in those days So, when John Brown
with his men got down about Drayton
it was decided that it was necessary
to begin to drill the militia at once and
the task fell on old Sterley to notify
the people of the time and place of the
meeting and of all the necessary ar
engagements.
It seemed to suit him very much
He was horse trader\8nyway and saw
many trades in his rounds.
Sterely performed his duties and
finding out that he would have to Off
ciate in the big drill he ordered the
9eople to carry their guns with them.
To have things in apple pie" order he
decided that he must have drum, so
ne shouldered his axe and drawing
knife and went into the swamp to find
a hollow tree that would serve.
He found a cypress that suited him
very much so he cut it down and took
4 piece of it about tweniy-four inches
long and with his axe and drawing
knife and round shave he soon dressed
it I'D so it looked very we'll. He then
got some raw-hide and placed cap
on each end and soon had a very good
drum Now a drum was something
that very few people had ever heard OF
in those days and when they learned
hat Sterley was going to be there
with his drum. 1t made them very anX-
ious to go to the drill which was then
TO come off in a few days
Those who had guns began to rub
them up and get them in shape for IN
spection. The gun that had to carry
n those days was an old flint and
steel rifle about nine feet long and
weighed about eighteen pounds and
would shoot about three hundred
wards. SO you see l was not afraid OF
Iohn Brown and his raid, but how
bout my poor little brother j. S. Pate
who had to carry a corn stalk for his
gun
Poor old Sterley, after he finished
up his drum, saw that to have fife
would complete his music, so he then
went out to see if he could not find
something that he could turn into a
ffe. And, by the way, he could play
Johnnie Get Your Hair Cut or some
hing like it. So we had music. and
lon't you forget it, but Sterley had TO
)eat The drum and play the fife, too
The day Of the meeting finally came
and the crowds too. The meeting
7lace was at Fldridge Springs where
here was plenty of good water. A
arge crowd gathered at Eldridge
Springs early but 70 Sterley Occas-