The prairie news. [volume] (Okolona, Miss.) 1851-1875, 1859-02-24
Chauncey Lewis, the Boy soldier.

A boy of fifteen years of age was stand
ing before the open door of a Connecticut
farm house with little fowling piece up
on his shoulder, while matronly looking
woman was standing in the doorway and
gazing with mOistened eyes upon him.
go, my son, she said, "but remem-
Der, when amid the smoke and the heat
of the battle, the sentence in the bless
ed book have given you, +" the merciful
shall obtain mercy"
will not forget it, mother" he re-
piled, but our company is waiting and now
farewell
Good bye, my son,"-she kissed him
as she spoke" and may He who has for
two score years watched over the mother,
protect the son -
"A cloud ofsmoke hung over and envel-
oped the blood stained soil of Bunker's
Hill. A noble looking man in the uni
| form of an American General was slowly
retreating with his face to the foe. The
sharp report of single rifle was heard,
and Warren fell A young soldier--al-
most boy-sprang towards him and lift
ed his head; at the same instant giant
genadier in the British uniform, came
charging at him with leyelled bayonet
TO draw ain old rusty horse pistol from
his breast, present and fire it, at the ap-
preaching foe, was but the work of a mo-
ment. The grenadier fell, wounded, and
seizing the sword of Warren which had
fallen from his grasp, the boy soldier ran
and raised it over the red coad to dispatch
him. =
But why does he pause when the sword
is uplifted, and allow it to fall slowly to
his side, and then turn away and strike
not
He remembers the injunction of that
mother whom two months ago he left in
the open door Of the farms house, 81 Re-
member, my son, amid the smoke and heat
of the battle, "The mertiful shall obtain
mercy"
The tide of battle had swept like
whirlwind over the plains of Trenton-
The British cavalry had ridden with ire
sistibte force over detachment of men
and boys, forming portion of the left
wing of the American army, and among
the dead and the dying, lay a boyish SOL
dier wounded, and with his right arm bro
ken.
A merciless party of Hessians, were
ranging over the field numbering and plum
derng those who bad fallen. They ap-
preached the boy soldier who dauntlessly
awaited the impending death, and one of
them drawing his sword was about to
plunge it into the boys side when gi-
gantic relocated grenadier rushed be-
tween the boy and the murderous Hessian
and struck up the weapon.
Hold, ruflians That boy spared my
life at Bunker Hill 1t is now my turn
and raising him in his strong arms, he
bore him from the bloody soil to place
of safety.
Ah how those parting words of his
mother again rang through his brain and
made sweet music in his soul "Remem-
Der my son, when amid the smoke and
heat of battle, that The merciful shall OBJ.
tain mercy"
1t was never forgotten, and when lit
tie more than two years ago / stood above
the venerated form and gazed upon the
calm features of the aged boy soldier,
whose life had peacefully gone out like
the last Pickering of candle which burn
ed down in its socket, l thought of those
words, and in Imagination could see the
parting of mother and son, at the old farm
house eighty-three years ago.
NeD York Wauerly.