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THE OLD MUSTER
Pg. 298
As it may be a
matter of interest to many, to know the military discipline
to which the youth of early days were subjected, we devote a
page to its explanation.
July 25, 1788, a law was published at Marietta for
"regulating and establishing the militia," which was
confirmed by the territorial legislature, and approved by
the governor (St. Clair). This law provided that all
male citizens, between the age of sixteen and fifty, should
perform military duty, be armed with a musket and bayonet,
cartridge box, and pouch, or powder horn, and bullet pouch,
one pound of powder, and four of lead, priming wire, brush,
and six flints.
For the promotion of health, civilization, and
morality, they were required to drill, on the first day of
the week, at 10 a.m., armed and equipped, adjacent to the
place of public worship; and at all other times and places,
as the commander-in-chief should direct. For failing
so to appear on the first of the week, they were fined
twenty-five cents, and for failure on the day designated by
the commander-in-chief, fifty cents; for refusing to do
guard duty, one hundred cents, and for refusing to serve in
case of invasion, they were considered guilty of desertion,
and court martialed.
On the 23d of November, 1788, the governor and judges
published a law, providing that all who should not furnish
arms and accoutrements, according to law, after thirty days
neglect, should, for a musket and bayonet, be fined five
dimes; for every pound of powder and four pound of lead, not
furnished in fifteen days, two dimes and five cents; for
every powder horn and bullet pouch, two dimes; for every six
flints, not provided within ten days, one dime and five
cents; and brush not provided within thirty days, one dime.
They were also to be inspected by the commandant of
companies, on the first Sabbath of each month. By a
law passed July 2, 1791, all commandants of companies, were
to drill their men, two hours on each last day of the week,
and inspect their arms, ammunition, etc.
[Pg. 299]
All who attended the drill on Saturday, were excused
from church or drill on Sunday; also if they attended church
armed and equipped, they were not required to drill on
Saturday. Thus the law required to drill on Saturday.
Thus the law remained until December 13, 1799, when the
whole was revised by the territorial legislature, which
fixed the ages at eighteen and forty-five, men were to be
armed and equipped in six months, officers, to have sword or
hanger and espoutoon, (spontoon or pike) arms exempt from
execution. It also provided for districting and
officering the militia; the commissioned and
non-commissioned officers, to be drilled by the brigadiers,
six days five hours each, during the year. Company
musters once in every two months, except December, January,
February, and March. Each battalion to muster in the
month of April every year, and a muster of the regiment in
October. For non-attendance at company muster, one to
three dollars; regimental or battalion, one dollar and fifty
cents to six dollars.
By act of December 30, 1803, Quakers Menonites, and
Tunkers were exempt from military duty, on payment of three
dollars each year. Privates were allowed twelve months
to equip, and fine reduced from one dollar to one dollar and
fifty cents.
Feb. 14, 1809, all laws for organizing, etc., were
repealed. Only two company musters a year, in April
and September; battalion, once in April, and in September.
Commissioned to meet in August of each year, for two days
exercise according to Steuben's tactics.
Feb. 2, 1813, a bounty of twelve dollars per month was
allowed soldiers whose term of service had expired, in case
they continued until their places could be supplied.
Passing over all the intermediate laws, continually
changing the mode of organizing, times of drilling, fines,
etc., we finally reach the act of 1844, which declares
military duty a failure, in so far as the improvement of
morals is concerned, and excuses the rank and file from
drilling in time of peace, thus verifying the words of
Dryden:
Raw in fields the rude militia swarms;
Mouths without hands, maintained at vast
expense;
In peace a charge, in war a weak defense;
Stout once a month they march, a blustering
hand,
And ever, but in times of need, at hand. |
On the prairie
north of Oldtown, was a favorite place for drilling,
[Pg. 300]
and almost due west of the old tavern, described in
Xenia Township, the venders of whisky had their
stations. It was a day looked forward to with a
good deal of pleasure. At the command of the
captain, to "stand at case," the sergeants passed along
the line with a bucket full of whisky, tin cup in hand,
with which every man helped himself, according to his
calibre. The officers were more highly favored.
Days of regimental and battalion muster were agreeable
occasions, but officer muster was creta notandum.
Then these men swelled out,
with war-like pride, and "set the teeth, and stretched
the nostrils wide," and gave the eye a terrible aspect,
and as sable, - save the blue coats and brass buttons, -
knights of old, they pranced upon their pampered steeds,
with the glitter of the polished saber, the waving white
plume, the brilliant sash and flashing epaulet, the
proud recipients of many admiring smiles from fair
ladies, whose sparkling eyes rivals their own gay
uniforms in brilliancy, while the stolid, anti bellumQuaker,
looking on, exclaimed, with the sentiment of the frogs:
"It may be fun for you, but it is death to us."
Among the officers who acted a conspicuous part on
these occasions, we subjoin for following:
At a court of inquiry, held at the house of Peter
Borders, by the officers of the First Battalion,
Second Regiment, Third Brigade of the First Division of
the Ohio State Militia, on Tuesday, July 11, 1805, the
officers present were -
Lieutenant-Colonel - Benjamin Whiteman.
Major - William Maxwell.
Captains - William
Buckles, Samuel G. Martin, James Morrow, Harry Martin,
James Snodgrass.
Lieutenants - James Bull, George Alexander,
William Snodgrass.
Ensigns - Joseph Hale,
David McCoy, David Wilson, Reuben Strong, George Taylor.
The date of officers'
commissions in the First Battalion were -
James Morrow, major,
Jan. 1, 1806
Adam Kulkler,
captain, Aug. 10, 1804.
Jacob Haines, captain, Apr. 15, 1806.
James Galloway, captain, Oct. 23, 1805.
Thomas Bull,
captain, Apr. 2, 1806.
William Townsley,
lieutenant, Apr. 2, 1806.
William Freeman, lieutenant, Oct. 6, 1806.
John McCoy, ensign,
Apr. 2, 1806.
[Pg. 301]
Daniel Kizer,
ensign, Oct. 10, 1806
Samuel Stiles,
ensign, Aug. 11, 1807.
Second Battalion -
William Buckles,
major, Jan. 2, 1806.
William A. Beatty,
major, Jan. 1, 1810.
James Morrow, major,
Dec. 6, 1813.
John Clark, captain,
Mar. 18, 1806.
Peter Price, captain, Aug. 11, 1807.
Robert McClellan, captain, Feb. 18, 1809.
John Watson, captain, Dec.
11, 1811.
John Clarke, captain, Jan.
6, 1812.
Robert Gowdy, captain, Jan. 8, 1811
John Davis, captain, Mar.
18, 1810.
William Stevenson, captain, Dec. 13, 1810.
Joseph Lucas, captain, May
16, 1812.
Zach. Ferguson, captain,
Dec. 11, 1811.
Samuel Herod, captain, July
17, 1812.
Jacob Shingledecker,
captain, Feb. 14, 1809.
Thomas Constant, captain,
May 28, 1814.
George Jenkins, captain,
Aug. 6, 1814.
George Logan, captain, May
28, 1814.
Robert Buckles, captain, June 14, 1813.
Thomas Gillespie, captain, Nov. 10, 1814
Reese Baldwan, captain, May
28, 1814.
John Smith, captain, June
10, 1815.
John Gowdy, captain, Jan.
1, 1810.
William Harpole, captain,
June 10, 1815.
Renken Seward, lieutenant,
Aug. 11, 1807
Benjamin Haines,
lieutenant, Sept. 1, 1807
Robert Buckles, lieutenant,
Sept. 1, 1807.
Daniel Wilson, lieutenant,
Sept. 1, 1807.
William Kirkpatric, lieutenant, Jan. 22, 1808.
John McCulloch, lieutenant, June 1, 1812.
Thomas Davis, lieutenant,
Jan. 8, 1811.
Stephen Hussey, lieutenant,
Dec. 11, 1811
Samuel Stiles, lieutenant, Feb. 18, 1809.
____ Mann, lieutenant, May 16, 1812
Elisha Leslie, lieutenant,
Jan. 22, 1808
Peter Borders, lieutenant, Feb. 18, 1809.
David M. Laughead,
lieutenant, Mar. 18, 1810.
[Pg. 302]
James Winter, lieutenant, Mar. 18, 1810.
Robert McFarland, lieutenant, Oct. 23, 1811
Christopher Shroupe, lientenant, May 16, 1812.
Samuel Butts, lieutenant, May 16, 1812.
Joseph Watson, lieutenant, May 28, 1814.
David Douglas, lieutenant, May 28, 1814.
John Gowdy, lieutenant, Aug. 6, 1814.
Amos Quinn, lieutenant, Aug. 6, 1814.
Jacob Puterbaugh, lieutenant, Nov. 10, 1814.
J. McBride, lieutenant, Feb. 18, 1809
____ McDowell, lieutenant, Jun. 10, 1815
____ Conwell, lieutenant, Nov. 10, 1815.
____ Snodgrass, ensign, Aug. 11, 1807
A. Maltbie, ensign, Jan. 22, 1809.
Jacob Golden, ensign, Jan. 22, 1808.
David Douglas, ensign, Oct. 23, 1811.
John McClelland, ensign, July 15, 1810
Barton Hobbett, ensign, June 1, 1812.
John McColly, ensign, Feb. 18, 1809.
George Price, ensign, May 16, 1812.
Stephen Conwell, ensign, Mar. 18, 1810.
Jacob Puterbaugh, ensign, May 29, 1814.
Anthony Cannon, ensign, May 12, 1813.
John Tucker, ensign, Nov. 10, 1814.
J. Snodgrass, ensign, June 10, 1815.
Robert Stephenson, ensign, Jan. 1, 1816
The specific enumeration of immigrants since the war,
would be a work tedious beyond our time and space, and
anaemic beyond the patience of our readers. We
therefore close the personal history, and consider the
improvements of the present.
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