Muster Day.—Muster day was a time of much interest to the people of Missouri up to about 1840. In 1825 the Legislature had enacted an elaborate law for organizing the militia. By it all men over eighteen years old and under forty-five, except a few specially exempt, were enrolled as State soldiers. The purpose of the law was to prepare the State for Indian wars or any other emergency that might arise. The militia were arranged in divisions, brigades, regiments, battalions, and companies. A company consisted of sixty-four privates, each battalion of five companies, each regiment of two battalions, each brigade of four regiments, and a division of any number of brigades. Captains commanded companies, majors commanded battalions, colonels regiments, brigadier-generals brigades, and major-generals divisions. The Adjutant-General, next to the Governor, was the chief officer of the militia. Captains, majors, and colonels were elected by the vote of privates; generals, by the vote of under officers. On the first Saturday of April every year, the citizens of each township, or, if the population was sparse, of each county, came together to lie organized into companies and drilled for soldiers. This was called " Muster Day."
Then in May the companies came together and were organized into battalions, drilled and paraded for several days. In October drills were had by regiments and brigades. All of these occasions were looked forward to by the people with a great deal of interest and expectation. The wealthy made display of gorgeous uniforms and splendid steeds, and chivalric heroes were received with demonstrations of popular favor. On Muster Day nearly all the people from the surrounding country witnessed the organization and drill of the soldiers, and as a result it became a time when debts were paid, loans made, and much trading done. No other day in all the year was so generally observed and none did so much to get the people acquainted with each other. It also did much towards cultivating a pride in the State and her institutions. Offices in the militia, though almost entirely without emolument, were as eagerly sought after as any in the State. However, there were some persons exempt from this service. They were any civil officer, preachers, teachers, millers, and students in school. Ministers were at no time required to perform any kind of military service, nor were they permitted to hold any civil office till tile new Constitution was adopted in 1865. But under the military law ministers could be chaplains, and to be chosen as such was an honorable distinction. [Rader, The Civil Government of the US and the State of Missouri… (Columbia, Missouri: E. W. Stephens Pub. 1898), 235-36].