whose envelopes are seen the initials "S. B.," with the same mystical emblems. In the streets and hotels may be observed the same letters and characters conveyed upon rings, seals, pins, and other styles of ornamentation.

The general inquiry then turns naturally in this direction: what is this S. B.? what its purposes? why this vast organization whose branches seem to hang everywhere, in evey regiment, and in every home?

This little book is prepared under proper auspices to answer these inquiries. The views presented to the members of the S. B. association in our various circulars and communications relative to the necessity of a strictly Union organization irrespective of politics, obviate the necessity of prefatory remarks here. The general acceptance of these views as shown in the vast and rapidly accumulating comradeship of the S. B. is the best evidence of the deep-rooted love of the Union existing in the hearts of the people that the age has produced.

We only deem it necessary in this preface, as in all our communications, to hold up the five bases or fundamental principles upon which the S. B. is founded, and to caution the comrades that the success of the association in its grand and noble aims is altogether measurable by the fidelity with which we adhere to them. They are:

1. To preserve through all coming time the unity of the United States from disintegration and decay.

2. To secure to posterity our birthright of freedom of conscience, speech, and action.

3. To afford to the people of other lands an asylum, a refuge from tyranny, oppression, and political wrong.

4. To perpetuate the memory of the founders of this great republic, and of their worthy and immortal successors.

5. To teach, by covenants, emblems, and solemn ceremonies, the harmony, strength, and beauty of national unity.

GUIDE TO THE S. B.

CHAPTER I.-Preliminary observations.

SECTION FIRST.-THE THEORY OF THE S. b.

1. The theory of the S. B. association* is essentially military, and this gives form to its laws, covenants, paraphernalia, phrases, nomenclature, and ceremonies. All these are directly referable to war matters as defined in Scott's Military Dictionary, the Army Regulations of the United States, books of tactics, and ancient military history. Military precision must be observed in all marchings, salutes, alignments, and other ceremonies of the S. B. The banners and public displays correspond with those of the service.

2. The immense advantages of a secluded and guarded apartment in which loyal men may arrange their plans, welcome their friends, bring new members among them, read correspondence from all sections of the country, and animate the souls of each other without subjecting themselves to the espionage of traitors, are too obvious to need mention. The members of the S B. will take care, therefore, both to exercise vigilance that they may not be betrayed, and also to see that no merely political or sectional questions are introduced among them, which would weaken confidence, arouse personal prejudices, and thus sunder the chain of the S. B.

*For technical use we name the association the "S. B." The initials simply imply "Strong Band " or Brotherhood," and have, besides, a strictly private meaning.

A comrade in the society is also styled an S. B., which then has a strictly private meaning, explained only to the members.

3. So extensively has the knowledge of military operations and terms been diffused in this country through the terrible experiences of the civil war, that it is safely left to the commanding officer of each company, regiment, or division of the S. B. to arrange all the details not provided for in the guide and ritual. But, as observed above, everything must be made strictly conformable to military science and art, as explained in American military works.

4 A thorough extension of the S. B., to embrace every proper subject for its comradeship, will maintain the military art in this country upon a high and substantial footing. Every patriotic youth as he passes the age of fourteen will enter the portals of the society, and in process of years advance to full comrade. ship and become perfected in the solemn details of the war. Thus the American nation will never again be found, as of late, unprepared for attack, either from within or without, and the flower of our people will be qualified to go out, at the notice of a day, from their camps of S. B. to camps and trials of stern

war.

5. The foundation of all military discipline is expressed in article 1st of Revised Army Regulations of the United States, viz:

All inferiors are required to obey strictly and to execute with alacrity and faith the orders of the superiors appointed over them.

Military authority is to be executed with firmness, but with kindness and justice to inferiors.

Punishments shall be strictly conformable to military laws.

Superiors of every grade are forbidden to injure those under them by tyrannical or capricious conduct or by abusive language.

The military covenant required by the laws of the United States is here given as a key to the affiliated covenant of the S. B.

I,- —, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will bear true allegiance to the United States of America; and that I will serve them honestly and faithfully against all their enemies or opposers whatsoever.

The requirements, mental and physical, of a recruit for the armies of the United States, are followed in the S. B., as nearly as practicable.

They are as follows:

Any free white male person above the age of eighteen and under thirty-five years, being at least five feet three inches high, effective, able-bodied, sober, free from disease, of a good character and habits, and with a competent knowledge of the English language may be enlisted.

As adapted to the S. B., these requirements are, "A free white male person, effective, sober, and of good character and habits."

6. The ceremonies of enlistment, as required in the guide, refer chiefly to enlisting members of the first grade-that is, members who are entitled to vote, hold office, &c. But with proper modification obvious to the commanding officer, they may be adapted to those of the second and third grades.

7. The language of the guide applies to the making of but one recruit at a time; but with slight and obvious changes it will serve for a larger number. As many recruits may be made at one ceremony as the commanding officer deems fit, being guided by circumstances or convenience only. It is recommended, in general, to have but one ceremony of enlisting and enrolling recruits at a single meeting, and to take ample time for it.

8. It is strongly recommended to each officer of the S. B. to commit to memory the whole language of his part, as communicated to him, that he may deliver it without hesitation. Leisure moments between the meetings and during the performance of the ceremonies may be profitably spent in this way. The impressive performance of dramatic exercises is well nigh impossible if the actors must be prompted or read their parts from a book.

9. The commanding officer of a company camp should make a standing and soldierly welcome to all visiting comrades. When his orderly book has enlistments

entered upon it, the proper signals should be displayed at least three days prior to the meeting, and the comrades of all neighboring camps invited to assist in the ceremonies. The whole society is animated and strengthened by the introduction of worthy recruits, and all the comrades within the sound of cannon-shot should share the interest and pleasure.

10. Cases may possibly (though rarely) arise in your camp in which the gauntlet is taken up by a challenger after it has been defiantly thrown by a voucher. To avoid the possibility of a contingency so calculated to produce discord in the camp, the commanding officer should not enlist a recruit even though he may have been elected and a certificate given him if serious objections should be offered to his entrance. Comrades should be instructed not to interpose personal prejudices, political or religious objections, or the jarring of business against the progress of a grand and patriotic movement like this. When the gauntlet is thrown as above indicated, the enlistment must be stopped. A commission of three prudent and experienced comrades will be immediately appointed by the commanding officer, with instructions to examine promptly into the charges, and, if possible, report at Whatever convicts the recruit of infamy, is a perpetual bar to his enrol

once. ment.

11. Fees of enlistment, as arranged by the camp, must be paid into the hands of the second lieutenant before the recruit can be enlisted; likewise the regis tration fee.

12. In the vocabulary will be found descriptions of many of the technical words and expressions used in the S. B.; also synopses of the station, rank, and duty of each officer, &c. Information not found in this guide may be looked for in the guide to the meetings, the constitution and by-laws, and those publications furnished only to the officers of the S. B.

13. Every S. B. should consider himself the representative of the great and entire association. In that capacity he should invite and urge upon al. loyal men, old and young, within the sound of cannon-shot of his residence to unite at once in the movement. If such are sick, bed-ridden, or unable to attend the camps, let the commanding officer attend upon them at their dwelling, and perform the necessary ceremonies there.

Public addresses should be delivered at every church and school-house. The press, that mighty lever of public opinion, should be thoroughly enlisted in the work, and no means left untried to enlist, before the 4th of July, 1863, every loyal spirit in the land in this patriotic and holy chain.

SECTION SECOND.-PARAPHERNALIA.

The articles essential to the smooth and systematic workings of this society are the following (at the first establishment of a company camp some of them are necessarily dispensed with):

1st. Swords, muskets, and lances. A weapon for each officer corresponding with his rank, and one for each recruit. Muskets not to be loaded.

2d. Rations for the camp and anteroom.

3d. Archives and library.

4th. Book of covenants.

5th. Music and band instruments.

6th. Portraits or busts of Warren, Webster, Clay, Jefferson, and Washington; also of those soldiers, sailors, statesmen, and other patriots whose deeds have immortalized our country. Also those of the officers and members of the

SECTION THIRD.-ARRANGEMENT OF THE CAMP.

The full direction for arranging the camp will be furnished to the officers. In this place are given merely the outlines of the stations of officers, &c.

1st. The captain facing the door of entrance, and as far from it as the apartment (or tent) permits; weapon, the sword. In his possession are the signet ring and the portrait of Washington. His commission must always be at his command, and ready for exhibition. All vacancies are filled by the captain.

2d. The first lieutenant, on a line with the captain, two paces on his right; weapon, the sword. He is treasurer and quartermaster; in the latter capacity he has in charge the apartment with its paraphernalia. He is guardian of the portrait of Jefferson.

3d. The second lieutenant, on a line with the captain, two paces on his left; weapon, the sword He is secretary and com nissary; in the former capacity he has charge of the archives, library, book of covenants, and rolls; in the latter capacity he provides the rations of the company. He is guardian of the portrait of Clay.

4th. The ensign, facing the captain; the flagstaff between them.

In the absence of the captain the other commissioned officers, according to seniority, preside-the first lieutenant ranking as captain, the second lieutenant as first lieutenant, and the ensign as second lieutenant; but the duties of treasurer and secretary continue to be performed by the officers who assumed charge of them at the inauguration.

5th. First sergeant, facing the flagstaff, and as far from it as the form of the apartment (or tent) permits; weapon, the sword. He is guardian of the portrait of Webster.

6th. Second sergeant, on the left of the door of entrance, and near it; weapon, the sword. He is guardian of the portrait of Warren.

7th. First corporal, on the right of the first sergeant, and one pace distant; weapon, the lance. He receives the signet ring from the captain, and is one of the body-guard of the recruit.

8th. Second corporal, on the left of the second sergeant, and one pace distant; weapon, the lance. He receives the book of covenants from the second lieutenant, and is one of the body-guard of the recruit.

9th. The sentinel, outside the door; weapon, the musket with fixed bayonet. Upon his vigilance and fidelity the security of the camp mainly depends.

Although for general use, and especially in the cold season, halls and apartments are necessarily employed for the company meetings, yet the use of tents is recommended when the seasons permit, and each company ought at a proper time to provide itself with one.

Instrumental music, or the singing of odes, is important to time the marchings. Many modern songs are appropriate to our ceremonies, such as the "Flag of our Union," "Rally round the Flag," &c.; likewise the standard songs, "Hail, Columbia," the "Star Spangled Banner," &c.

The uniforms of officers and privates correspond with the by-laws of the

ompany.

There is no preparation room or ante-room adjacent to the camp, except the one occupied by the sentinel, and there is no entrance to the camp save the one guarded by that officer.

A vocabulary of a part of the technical terms used in the ceremonies and the addresses of the S. B.

CADET. That grade of eighteen is termed cadets.

recruits who are between the ages of fourteen and They constitute the second grade in comradeship-at

arms; they enjoy all the privileges of comradeship except those of holding office and voting.

CAMP. The meeting place of the S. B., whether assembled as a company, a regiment, or a division. The proper place is a tent, commodious and secluded; but in general the com.ades are compelled for convenience to occupy halls and apartments, public or private; the halls of the various affiliated societies are most appropriate, as being secluded and commodious. The assemblage of S. B.'s is likewise termed a camp. To open a company camp there must be at least nine comrades present, exclusive of the sentinel; these must embrace at least two commissioned officers.

CERTIFICATE. There are two classes of certificates used in the S. B. One is given by the secretary of the camp (the second lieutenant) to the comrade who presents the petition of a recruit; its form is found in a subsequent page. The second is a certificate issued to each comrade by the general secretary, certified by the general registration seal, by means of which he is enabled to make himself known as a comrade; without the latter certificate no comrade can visit any camp of the S. B.

CHALLENGER. If the advancement of the recruit is stopped just prior to his presentation for enrolment, the objecting comrade is termed the challenger; the challenge is communicated in military form by taking up the gauntlet, which see. The comrade who presents and indorses the petition of the recruit is termed the voucher, which see.

COMRADE. The title of the recruit after he has been enlisted and enrolled. By the endearing appellation of comrade the S. B.'s address each other. Commanders are of three grades, as explained in the published constitutions; the expression comrade-at-arms suggests the military form of our fraternity. COMRADESHIP. The technical word used in the S. B. to imply membership; the expression comradeship-at-arms implies our form of membership, which is military.

COUNTERSIGN. Some patriotic word chosen by the commanding officer of the camp, at each meeting, to serve as an additional means of security to the camp. The countersign is changed at every meeting.

COVENANTS, BOOK OF. The volume in which is engrossed the military cov enant of the S. B. is termed the book of covenants; it contains the autograph of each comrade, indorsed by three others. It is kept by the second lieutenant, and intrusted during the ceremonies of enlistment to the second corporal. At the dissolution of the company the book of covenants goes to the archives of the general secretary's office.

ENLISTMENT. The entire ceremony of incorporating a new member into the comradeship-at-arms in the S. B. is termed enlistment. It is exceedingly dramatic and impressive. Every patriotic and social appliance is brought to bear to impress upon the mind of the candidate his duties to his country.

ENROLMENT. The final ceremony of enlisting a recruit is termed the enrolment. A recruit may be stopped in his progress just prior to enlistment, by operation of the challenger.

GAUNTLET. The glove used during the ceremonies of enlistment, is termed the gauntlet. See voucher and challenger.

GUARD, BODY. The two corporals and the voucher who conduct the recruit into camp and through the ceremonies of enlistment, are termed the body-guard of the recruit.

MEDALS. See recognition.

ORDERLY BOOK. The records of the camp. They are in charge of the secretary (second lieutenant) or his clerk.

PASS-WORDS. See recognition.

PATRONS. Five patriots in American history, whose virtues and talents reflected lustre upon the country of their birth, and whose examples are models of