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The United States did not need a permanent army of paid soldiers for protection. Instead, the law said that every able-bodied man between the ages of 16 and 60 had to be a member of the local militia. Spring and fall "training days" supposedly kept these soldiers trained and ready to march at a moment's notice to meet any military emergency. This muster sheet records the names and equipment of the members of the Deerfield, Massachusetts, Militia Company of Captain John Wells. Note that all of the men brought their own weapons. Only one came with a rifle; the rest carried smoothbore muskets. Most also carried their own bayonets, extra flints, and " wires and brushes" to keep their guns clean and in working order.