The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1936-03-23
Squaring
the Circle
With
THE HOOSIER EDITOR

TN one history of early Indian
l. apohs the accounts of the militia
come under the head of "amuse-
ments." This is why:
When Marion County was organ
lied, the battle of New Orleans was
but 7 years old All the adult
male population was organized into
a militia with some exceptions)
and divided into regiments by coun-
ties and brigades by congressional
districts.
They had parades every once in a
while and every one would turn
out. The officers promoted these
things, because they were the only
ones who had uniforms. Every one
would gather at the Courthouse.
There were no guns" the his
torian says, 'but squirrel rifles
many without them taking canes,
pawpaw sticks, broken hoe handles,
or pieces of split plank"
They generally marched west
down Westinghouse, to the open
land between Georgia and Louisi-
ana-sts west of Tennessee. There,
for an hour, they would go through
drilling and marching, inter-
rupted by apple eating. All hands
could have stayed at home, for all
the military knowledge they &C
quired.
NXTHEN there was a bona fide
w parade, the officers wore red
and white plumes in their hats and
were something grand to look at.
Mothers held their children up at
front doors, children followed along
and cheered, and the even-tem-
pered hogs would add grunt or
two to the general bedlam.
Peter Winchell and Nat Cox were
drummers for the event and they
drummed so faithfully that the
squeaky fife of Glidden True could
scarcely be heard. Mr.. True is
said to have complained about the
matter, but nothing ever was done
about it.
A Mr.. Lewis was elected major
of the Marion County regiments,
finally, and he was noticeably con-
scious of the great honor that had
been given him. 1t was memoir
able day for hin) when he was to
review the troops. The aid-de-
camp galloped on to the field in full
uniform directly from headquarters,
mounted on splendid gray charger.
and commanded:
"nFFICERS to your places.
~ Marshal your men in COM
panies, separating the barefooted
from those who have shoes or moe
casins; placing the guns, sticks and
cornStalks in separate platoons, and
then form line ready to meet the
major"
This was done with a willing, if
unmilitary, alacrity. Maj. Lewis
was seen at a distance coming
on to the field with his aids. The
line was formed, the major took
position about 100 yards in front
of the battalion.
Rising in his stirrups, and turn
ing his full face upon the battalion,
he shouted:
"Atten-"
And then his voice broke and
assembled into the upper scales and
sounded like a fife.
But from the other end of the
parade field came a shrill and I'M
derstandable voice screaming:
Children, come out of that
swamp. You'll get snake bite"
TINE major was furious. He gall
Il loped up and down the line
raging as much to himself as to
any one, who dares insult me?"
Nobody answered. But all up and
down the line went the cry, You'll
get a snake bite
He began to understand eventually
that it was the militia at the brunt
of the joke, not him. Poor, game,
barefooted militia.
But he was not appeased. He
dashed his hat to the ground, threw
his sword into the earth, tore up
his commission and resigned on the
SDOt The battalion dicperca6