Pioneer Militia in the Early 1800s

Did you know… by Sandra Merville Hart The law made every male between 18 and 45 part of the Militia of the day. This was usually one regiment plus officers for each county. Met yearly for drills Our law required every company meet once a year for drills. After this, the entire regiment met for a one day drill at the county seat or some other designated location. Special rifle regiments In addition, one or more rifle regiments had company meetings. These men wore uniforms. The rifle regiments and officers met at the county seat for “Officer’s Muster,” a two-day drill. Crowds attend annual drills All the rifle regiments met annually for a regimental drill. These Military displays drew large crowds. Everyone loved a pleasant change from the...

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Sports in the Early 1800s

Did you know … by Sandra Merville Hart It wasn’t all hard work for the early pioneers. Those living in the country enjoyed sporting activities just as we do today. Shooting Matches were great fun for early settlers. Hoping to be the most accurate, they aimed rifles at targets. These normally took place around Christmas and New Years. Horse races were always popular events. The races varied in length from a quarter mile or half mile on a straight path. One, two, a