1818 Vt. Acts & Resolves 64-65, An Act Regulating and Governing the Militia of This State, § 42.

No noncommissioned officer, private or citizen shall unnecessarily fire a gun, single musket or pistol, in any public road, or near any house or place of parade, on the evening preceding, on the day or evening of the same, on which any troop company, battalion or regiment shall be ordered to assemble for military duty, unless embodied under the command of some commissioned officer; and if any non-commissioned officer, private or citizen, shall fire a musket, single gun or pistol, except as aforesaid, on the day or evening as aforesaid, without being embodied as aforesaid, he shall forfeit and pay a fine of two dollars for each and every such offence . . .