to get reeling
drunk by sundown; otherwise he did n't amount to much in the community;
his house was unpainted, his fences were tumbled down, his farm was a
waste, his wife wore an old gown to meeting, to which the captain never
went; but he was a good trout-fisher, and there was no man in town who
spent more time at the country store and made more shrewd observations
upon the affairs of his neighbors. Although he had never been in an
asylum any more than he had been in war, he was almost as perfect a
drunkard as he was soldier. He hated the British, whom he had never
seen, as much as he loved rum, from which he was never separated.

The company which his son commanded, wearing his father's belt and
sword, was about as effective as the old company, and more orderly.
It contained from thirty to fifty boys, according to the pressure of
"chores" at home, and it had its great days of parade and its autumn
maneuvers, like the general training. It was an artillery company,
which gave every boy a chance to wear a sword, and it possessed a small
mounted cannon, which was dragged about and limbered and unlimbered and
fired, to the imminent danger of everybody, especially of the company.
In point of marching, with all the legs going together, and twisting
itself up and untwisting breaking into single-file (for Indian
fighting), and forming platoons, turning a sharp corner, and getting
out of the way of a wagon, circling the town pump, frightening horses,
stopping short in front of the tavern, with ranks dressed and eyes right
and left, it was the equal of any military organization I ever saw. It
could train better than the big company, and I think it did more good
in keeping alive the spirit of patriotism and desire to fight. Its
discipline was strict. If a boy left the ranks to jab a spectator, or
make faces at a window, or "go for" a striped snake, he was "hollered"
at no end.

It was altogether a very serious business; there was no levity about
the hot and hard marching, and as boys have no humor, nothing ludicrous
occurred. John was very proud of his office, and of his ability to keep
the rear ranks closed up and ready to execute any maneuver when the
captain "hollered," which he did continually. He carried a real sword,
which his grandfather had worn in many a militia campaign on the village
green, the rust upon which John fancied was Indian blood; he had various
red and yellow insignia of military rank sewed upon different