Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1860-03-17
THE BOY ARMY OF CRUSADERS.

The story Of the eff IRIS made by the Christians
in the middle ages to rescue the sepulchre o
Christ at Jerusalem fran the hands of the infde
Mohammedans, is familrarly know; few, howev
er, are aware that the boys and girls Of those
days tried their hands at the same Difficult, job
What was called The Boy Crusa ie" came off il
1919. and is one Of the most curious things thai
history records. The men had been stimulated
for reasons political as well as ecclesiastical, t,
their "Crusade;" and. as vas not very strange
the young folks caught the clntngion from their
elders. a French shepherd-6oy named Holy
Stephen" gave the frat impulse Of the juveniles.
and rallied about hin, in a short time, an excited
mob Of 10000 persons. The boys were brund t.
20 and no persnasions, tears, or Commands, could
deter the young saints. They ielt a loud. Internal
call, and were sure that the smiles of Heaven were
on the enterprise. and that every boy who did MOI
rally IN such a cause must be a spiritless, milk
and water bastard. Parents in the present dav,
who have never had occasion to dissuade a youne,.
ter from any affair in which "all the res. of the
boys are going" will understand how the bows
felt and talked. A German historian SAYS
No persuasion, nor even the despair and tears
Of the mothers. could keep back the boys. Were
they hindered, they wept day AMI night. oined
with sorrow and fell i'll with trembling of the
limbs, so that at last Of necessity they we're lie. 90
Others made light of locks and bolts, found means
To clude the most vigilant. to jnin the represeta-
tives OF the shepherds-boy' Stephen. and at last
even TO behold this holy crusade preacher. And
there was no distiaclion of rank; the children of
counts and barons ran away. as well as the sons
of citiZens and the poorest peasant boys; only The
rich parents when they could not keep their chill
dren back. sent guides to them, who
quietly may have rescued many. MANY uarents
summoned their children TO take the cross. otbars
yielded 10 what they were unable 20 prevent not
VenIurlng to oppose the ~eulogists Of the little cru
Sade preachers. Ouiy a few intelligent men
among whom were some of the clergy. shook their
heads but II was all in vain that they sought to
restrain the multitude from their giddy infstua-
too. which must suon cough carry them TO an
abyss. No one Of them venIured to utter bs mind
aloud, fearful Of being charged with heresy. warn.
ed also by tho disregard given 60 the
kings command. The movement did no,
last long before there were assembled n,
Vendome an inumerable army of bows, armed and
unarmed, many On horseback. the most on foo.
and among them not a few girls in male clothing
Their number was estimated at more than thirty
thousand"
The child pilgrims, little knowing what lay be.
lore them, begin to move towards MarseiIles,
10 embark for the Holy Land; GU, even
before they hsd travelled through France, they
had been plucked. cheated and robbed BY miscre-
ants of both SEXES, and were almost destitute when
they reached Marseillss, Numbers of women and
girls accompanied the boy-adVsntyrss, aud the