Original meaning
Originalists of all stripes cite "The Federalist Papers". It is fairly tenuous to suggest that this represents a good source for the original "intent": after all, Alexander Hamilton, who wrote the majority of those essays, was absent for the greater part of the Philadelphia Convention, and John Jay did not attend it at all. However, James Madison, the principal framer of the Constitution also wrote a substantial amount of "The Federalist Papers". Also, to suggest Hamilton and Jay's absence from the convention implies their ignorance as to the Constitution's original meaning is demeaning to those two men and inaccurate. The collected anti-Federalist papers, of course, will be no use at all to a person searching for the original "intent" of the framers. However, as evidence of how a reasonable person at the time would have understood the words of the Constitution, "The Federalist Papers" and the anti-Federalist essays are evidence of direct relevance.
Federalist No. 29
The Articles of Confederation were ratified on March 1, 1781 to be the first constitution of the 13 colonies. Its formation came from the urgent need to stabilize the colonies newly liberated from British administration. It became evident that future prosperity relied on a new structure that gave power back to the general government. At first, people were unsure if this reform would be either beneficial or detrimental to future society. The uncertainty in public opinion had to be answered in order to put the people's trust in the new constitution. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay collectively wrote eighty five essays, known as the Federalist Papers, to persuade people, from those in politics to the average citizen, that the new constitution will be aid in the growth of the young nation. Alexander Hamilton's Federalist 29: "Concerning the Militia", describes what he implies would become of the militia. Historically, militias have been an intricate part in the lives of the people before and after the colonies. Alone, separate militias would have been vastly insufficient in terms of comparability to fighting an army such as the British. However, these battalions do reserve a role in the independence of the colonies.