Phenix Gazette

[From the Syracuse (N. Y.) Gazette]

A MILITARY PARADE

It is a well known fact, that sailors when pursuing their seafaring life of business, are not liable to perform military duty, they being exempt while on shore for a certain period of time. It happens, however, that they are sometimes enrolled to perform military duty, which they know as little about as a landsman knows about seamanship.

I happened during the late war to be traveling through a small town in one of the eastern states, situated a few miles from the sea board. It was a fine day in the month of May, and as luck would have it, what they called training day, or muster for military duty— The distant roll of the martial drum thundered the signal for the trainers to parade—and being fond of military exhibitions. I resolved to gratify myself with the entertaining sight. I arrived on the ground, just as the squad, in the number of about sixty or seventy, were extending into a line to form themselves for drill. The men for the most-part were uniformed—but now and then one was scattered amongst them with nothing but a musket. After some little confusion the company was formed in a line, and ranked and sized with military precision—and I stationed myself as near as possible, to observe their movements.

In a few minutes the officer came on the ground, and roll call commenced. It was a long roll and the first sergeant with his captain beside him began. At about every third or fourth name there appeared to be an absentee, which amused not a little, as the stentorian lungs of the sergeant bawled out the names, and received answers from some of the company, as the excuses for their non appearance, as follows;

Ninevah Pitigrew!—gone to mill, sir, answered one. Judith Pitigrew!—tending calpit. Nehemiah Goodfellow!—no answer. Nehemiah Goodfellow!—gone to draw seine over shad. Jehoiad Swansdown!—splitting geant continued Plasky Viggins!—gone af- in the ranks," said the captain, while the ser- ier sea werd to put in his harn yard.' Simon Goodfall! —was married last night, sir. guess he won't be here. Sylvester Buggleby!— building stone wall down there. Elnathan Higginbotham!—cut his foot chopping wood, sir,. Peleg Dousterswivel!—gone a clamming.- Parmenio Yelverton!—hauling his fish p.us. Abraham Bellinger!—shoeing deacon Sly's horse, guess he'll be along soon, sir. Jack Murlingspike!—hallo there! answered a voice, "Answer to your name, sir; silence! order gruff as the boatswain's of a seventy four— there in the ranks," said the captain, when the sergeant continued. Billy Bobstay!—coming sir, byllowed the voice of another jack tar, ranks, sir, said the captain. And what in the devil do you call me for you landlubber, retort- ed the tar, reeling towards the line, while the sergeant went on. Jor Bowline!—ay", aye, sir! I'll be there as soon as I have overhauled this catuch box, or what the devil do you call it.- S'ay where you are, said the captain. Aye, aye, sir muttered Bowline, and continuing to his companions—if hr landlubber calls me a- gain when it is not by watch, I'll caulk up his speaking trumpet with this bunch of bones, d--n me. doubling up his fist. But look here Jack Marlinspike, he continued, I'll not stand here frying in the sun, le 's go and get a summer and splice our main brace." (ome Bill Bobstay, we'll top our boom and be off Hal: ther, vociferated he captain, every man keep his place, I'll arrest the first one who disobeys my orders—go on with the roll, sergeant—who continued, Nichodemus Corncracker! here. answered a voice as if coming from the ground. Where? exclaimed the captain, step ou' here Corncracker and shew yourself. Up- on which a little fellow scarcely three feet high with a rusty gun, and an old fashioned militia. ro cual, with pewter buttons almost the size of saucers, and the skirts reached down to his heels, stepped out in front, and looked proud & lof ity around.

How old are you Ni- k? said the captain.- Almost twenty-one, sir, said the man. Ser- gean, said th" captain, you may strike this man's name off the roll—and turning to the little negro s iti, you may go home Nick. un- til you grow bigger But uncle Jehiel says I'm o.d enough to train, said Nick, choaking with vextion to think that he could not pass muster. Go home you powder monkey looking slunk, said Bill Bobstay, you are not so big as a gill of grog—go home or I'll put you on the top of a quart pol. where you'll never get down S.lence there in the ranks Bobstay, said the Capain. I command here. Look here captain Crookshanks, said Bob- stuy grinning horribly, none of your authority here in port you lobster faced land lubber! d'ye see, if you come athwart my bows I'll cut your hanst r—you never was out of sight of land in your life, you fresh water land crab -you snapping turtle of a mill pond; d'ye suppose I'll close up the hatch way of my mouth? f I do may old Davy dones-ink me in his locker. Avasi Bill said Bowline, let he lubber alone; he dont know a chiver-hole from a caboose- house; give us a chain of that pig tail round your tarpualin there—twisting as much as he could cleverly stow away in his mouth, from three or four yards which was wound round Bobs ay's hat, the ends reaching down to be handy.

The captain seeing be ungovernable state of Bobstay, Marlingspike and Bowline, paid no more attention to them, but continued attending he roll call, which was soon finished and the company prepared to go through the Manual exercise. Atention! Eyes right! Eyes left! Steady! having with precision been ordered, he began: Snoulde: arms!—What's that Jack? says B.bs ay—shouder und arms! d-n the booby, does he suppose we've got no shoulders or arms? The captain went on, present arms! order rms! advance arms, &c.—While the tars looked on—one leisurely leaning on the but of his gun, while the muzzle was sucking in he ground; another holding his by the muzzle with both hands, the but over his shoulders— B bsiay was rummaging an old cartridge box for a flint, while his gun lay down on the ground besine him. Give us one of them are cartridges. Bill said Jack Marlingspike If I do I'll d- -find your own ammunition, answered Bob- stay. In the mean time he had loaded his olu blunderbuss just as the captain gave notice to meet in open oons Tht s ilors on seeing te rest moving. rm ed in wi em in the rear; and the word mark time! being given, Bobstay finding they were about to march, taps is companion M.rinspike on .hr shoulder, says ha'f a pint if I d n' plug hat goo-e vonder. Done, says Jack, and Bobstay raised old Connecticut, as he called it, and let off: Dead as a herring, by G-a! throwing down his gun, and seizing his prize. I'm a dead shot Jack—he's a 12 pounder—only he fi hum. He was continuing when the captain came up to know who had discharged his gun in this manner. I thought as how d'ye sre capt Crookshanks, says B bstay, you'd like u, to have a feather in our hats like the rest; (and pulling the quills out of he dead goose) here s ipmates, continued he giving Jack and Bowline a handful, so I put a small piog ir wo intu this. wild goose. I suppose goose feathers are as good as any? Hey old Crookshanks how is't. Mr. Bobstay, said the captain, that was a tame goose—you have broke the peace, and disobeyed my orders .It's a c--d lie! don't you see I broke his ne.k—I plugged him under 'ne gl's you swao, answered Bobstay, and he never so much as squalled once; blast me! d'ye suppose I don't know? And as for tame geese my old sog r, you are right; by the main of the mast, he's tame enough now. B.i what's he use of talking to a lubber who cont know the capstan from the binnacle—come, shipmates, lets be drifting down to old mother Bulkhead's, and have a roaster; it's a long time since I messed to any wild game. Upon which he three tars tacked ship down the lane swearing they had rather be lying to in a gale of wind, than be caught among a parcel of land sharks. or:, let them go, continued marches and coun ter-marches, wheelings, &c. much to the credit of he men under his command, but I could not help remembering the old saying, however, that "a sailor will be a sailor, whether on land or on the water," and knowing as I did, the sovereign contempt which they have for a soldier, which had afforded me so much amusement.