 | Eli Perkins (at large) |  |
THE SWELL DRESS-PARADE.
The Seventh Regiment went
to Boston on the 18th of June
to attend the Bunker Hill Centennial
with the swell 5th Maryland.
The Regiment encamped
on the Common—right in front
of the aristocratic Beacon street
brown stone residences. All
the pretty girls in Boston
came down to Beacon
street to board that
week, and then such
dancing and talking
and flirting as went
on!
Of course,
everything
was done in a
polite and circumspect
manner. Our fellows all wore neat white
pantaloons and sported white kids in place of gigantic
cotton gloves. No gruff orders were given by the
officers, but every direction was made in the shape of
a polite request. An officer was not permitted to say,
rudely,
“Right shoulder shift—HARMS!”
But he was instructed to say,
“Ah, gentlemen (smiling and bowing gracefully, with
hat in hand), will you do me the favor to shift your
weapons to the other shoulder?” and immediately
after making this request he did not shout in a loud
voice, Harms! but as soon as the request was complied
with the officer was instructed to remove his hat,
and say, “Thank you, gentlemen,” or “Much obliged to
you,” or something of that sort, yeu kneuw.
NEW MANUAL OF ARMS.
This is the way Col. Clarke drilled the regiment
after it was drawn up along the Beacon street residences,
with the beautiful Boston young ladies in front,
kept back by a guard of white satin ribbon.
First the polite drill-master appeared before them,
smiling in his most placid manner—then politely
tipping his hat he saluted the line, and proceeded to
shake hands with the entire regiment. When this
was done the regular drilling commenced and continued
as follows:
Attention, if you please, gentlemen! Ah (takes off hat
and bows sweetly), thank you!
Will you be kind enough to shoulder arms? Thanks
(smiling and bowing with hat in hand), gentlemen,
thanks!
Will you now favor me by ordering arms? Ah, thanks,
gentlemen.
If it is not asking too much, will you be kind enough to
order arms again? Ah—thanks—(bowing very low and
taking off hat), you are very kind.
I hope if not too fatiguing, that you will now be kind
enough to present arms! Ah—very good (smiles sweetly),
I'm too obliged to you!
If agreeable to you, will you shoulder arms, please?
You are—ah, very kind—(bowing)—I'm so much obliged
to you!
If not too much fatigued, gentlemen, might I ask you
to order arms? Thanks, gentlemen. Ah, you're very
kind! (Bows very low and salutes regiment.)
You are now dismissed, gentlemen! (Bows profoundly.)
I'm, ah—awfully obliged to you. If agreeable
to you, ah—I should be happy to, ah—meet you
again to-morrow evening! Good day, gentlemen!
(Bows and shakes hands all round, while the soldiers
return to flirt with the young ladies on the balconies.)
| Eli Perkins (at large) | |