The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1882-01-19
ReeolIections of soldier.Boy Days.

10 one VINO has S6TVeu III Illo army IL
is needless to say that the old scenes OF
Soldier-Boy Days frequently present
themselves to the vision, and the many
incidents connected with that ''devil-may-
care" experience frequently pass, in lu-
dicrous or sentimental train through the
mind. We yet feel that we are young
man, and it seems strange, therefore, for
us to look about us and see many men
mechanics, merchants and professional
men-who seem to be approaching mid
dle-life, and reflect that these men were
little boys during the war, too young, in
fact, to have very vivid recollection OF
the stirring scenes of that exciting period
of our Nations history.
Well do we remember our enlistment,
and our first "uniform." We had, upon
enlisting, arrived at the mature age of
fifteen, just the age to feel as though we
were the first ''man" who ever donned
the blue. We had reached the magnifi-
cent height of 'five-feet-three," and after
drawing the smallest uniform" to be
had, we were compelled to roll up the
sleeves of the blouse, and the legs of the
pantaloons, in order to wear them.
But size is not the test of endurance.
When we arrived at Camp Portsmouth,
one of the first men to note our small ap-
pearance was large German by the name
of Dace. There were some ten or twelve
little boys like ourself in the company.
and we caused an endless stream of ridi-
cule from Dace and some of his cOmpan-
IONS "Oh," he would say, 'go pack home
to yer mammiesr' But we had "come to
stay"
What strange contrast this was-a
powerfully built man, rejoicing in his
strength, and poking fun at the striplings
who dared attempt the duties of soldier!
Now let us get at the lesson of this
contrast: In all the qualities that go to
make up good soldiers, those striplings
were in the front rank. But the Dutch
man-where was he? In perhaps three
months from the time he made such hi
larious sport of the little boys, he discov-
cred that he was a very weakly man,
went to the hospital. and remained about
the hospital until ischarged-weighing,
perhaps, one hundred and eighty pounds
when discharged.
With the foregoing comes to mind an
other incident of the ludicrous side of
soldier-life. The command to which we
belonged was a company of Riflemen,
and for time we were patroling the
Tennessee River, from Bridgeport to
Decatur, Alabama, to prevent, if possible,
the enemy from establishing any ferries
upon the river. Our vessel was little
"tar-clad" gunboat.
On one of these trips we learned the
rebel General Roddy was at the river
above Decatur. Running up cautiously,
we put squad of skirmishers out upon
the left bank of the river. After moving
up for mile or more, Roddy's men sud-
denly opened upon us from the right
bank, with three twelve-pounders, at
distance of perhaps three hundred yards.
The little boat soon got her guns to bear
upon the enemy, who fled, indiscrimi-
nately. The shots fired at the boat
passed over, and perhaps flew twenty
yards above the heads of the skirmishers,
yet, as the boys could not get at the enc
my, they laid down on the bank of the
river.
In this squad was a young man who
had very positive convictions on almost
any subject, and the boys always wanted
to get rig upon Linn when it was possi-
BILE. The man was lying upon piece of
sandy soil, and every time cannon was
discharged he would throw his head
downward, driving his nose into the
sand. The boys rallied him on this, but
as soon as the next gun would crack,
down would go his nose again, into the
sand.
If ever there was an irresistible i'm
pulse, that man experienced it, and, on
that occasion at least, he possessed more
sand than any man in the company.