| Show CONFEDERATE VETS WIN A DRILL They Boat the Famous Chickasaw Guards and Challenge the North to a Contest The other day 82 exConfederatesmen who fought during the civil war a third of a century agodrilled against that corps of the Chickasaw guards which 1C years ago was declared by General Sherman Sher-man to be the best drilled body of men he had ever known in this country or in Europe The contest was given for the benefit of the Forrest monument fund Nothing like it had ever occurred in the south before Such a group of spectators specta-tors so thoroughly representative of the south as it was and the south as it is has never been seen in Memphis An exFed eral brigadier an exConfederate brigadier briga-dier and an exCcnf ederate colonel were the judges Of course the thought had not been seriously entertained by any one that the exConfederatesthey who had stood in the hornets nest and the bloody angles of the fearful days so long past could do more than make a more 01 less graceful parade They were men advanced in years A third of a century makes somewhat of a difference in ones hearing in his vision in the elasticity and responsiveness of his sinews These men for nearly 30 years had been leaning lean-ing over desks wielding tools engaging in the affairs of commercial or professional profes-sional life It was not to be supposed I that they could suddenly lay down their pens their books and their tools and donning their old habiliments make anything any-thing like a serious contest against the crack corps of the Chickasaw guards It is said that among the 32 there were only three under 50 years of age and it was apparent that in the ranks were men old enough to be grandfathers Yet to the amazement of the spectators these men knew how to drill by Hardees tactics tac-tics They had not lost their ability to keep step or to follow their file leaders They knew how to load and fire in cadence ca-dence They knew how to obey commands com-mands given rapidly either for the man ral of arms or for evolution They could wheel like a gate They could double quick In other words these staid and sober citizens demonstrated that they had not forgotten the soldiership that once they knew The veterans were awarded the prize And now an idea occurs growing out of the splendid performance of the ex Confederates Let them challenge an equal number of Federals of the north to drill against them upon Memphis ground It would bo an event in which the whole country would be interested and would tend to cement the friendship of the sections The Memphis old boys need not fear competition They demonstrated dem-onstrated their ability to cope with any exFederal 32 of like years We are sure that Memplxi exConfederates would be glad to pay all the expenses of the guests What a great time it would be 1 Memphis Mem-phis AppealAvalanche I |
