The Portland daily press., 1882-06-02
philadelphia Press.l
The Battery Boy.
A Protege of an Albany Battery During
the War, and His Adventures.

An old soldier, whose memory teens with in
teresting war reccollections, is Gabriel N. p.
Gale, of the hotel Lafayette. Mr.. Gale is a
most popular man among the children, to
thousands of whom, in the nanny cities where
his varied life has been passed, he is lovingly
known as "Uncle Gabe." The story which
follows is one with which he entertained a
trates the kindness to a friendless waif of men
whose business was stern war.
In tho fall of 1861 the Eleventh New York
Battery was ordered forward from Albany, and
for day or two lay yencamped with Connecti-
cut Battery in City Hall Park, New:York city.
One evening, just after guard mounting, as the
men were retiring to barracks, Sergeant Gale s
eye fell on an old bundle of rags in corner of
his tent. 1t startled him at first, as he thought
it might be some animal; but as he looked the
bundle stirred with life, and there peeped out
at him the face of little white boy, not more
than years old. The urchin was dirty, bare
footed, and shivering with cold, for all he had
to cover his nakedness was ragged pair of
trousers and torn shirt, with one sleeve. But
his features were intelligent and his eye
strsightford, and as he crawled from the corner
and stood erect before the Sergent, his un-
kempt hair struggling from beneath mans
huge military cap.
'Come, little fellow, what are you doing
here? You must go, for the guards are mount
ed and all strangers must les We camp,,' said
Mr.. Gale.
Sergeant, said the little waif, with a tire.
NOR in his voice, II want to go to war with
you"
"Why, my boy what could do with you and
what could you do for me?"
"Oh, could do everything-run errands aud
take care of your things. Please, please let me
go to the war;" pleaded the boy. He said that
his name was Edward Barry, that he had come
from Hartford with the Connecticut battery
and that he had been kicked and cuffed ont Of
their quarters. He was Sunday school pupil
and could read and write. He denied that he
was New York street gamin. 81 am bad
boy, but not wicked, he said, with childish
assertion Sergeant Gale concluded to grant
the boys desire, and, securing Captain Van
Pattkammer's permission, he made the urchin
tumble into bath. Several others OF the bat
terry became interested, and while a barber
soldier cut his hair, two tailor soldiers made q
pretty zouave suit with red trimmings. A
suitable cap, knapsack and boots completed the
diminutive warriors outfit, and when he was
inspected next morning he was christened the
"Battery Boy.''
build Fort Ellsworth, at Alexandra, Va, and
on the road to Washington the Battery Boy
was the observed of observers. Passing through
Philadelphia, from the Camden ferry to the
Baltimore station, he marched by the side o.
Sergeant Gale, who was color bearer. The
streets were lined with cheering, excited
crowds, and mauy ladies rushed into the street
catching the little zouave in their arms an6
loading him with candy and fruit.
81 say, Sergeantp' piped the boys treble or
Broad Street, as he looked up with a tear il
his eye at his tall companion, "that lady wa,
just like my mother. They'll never make
soldier of me this way"
"Cheer up, lad,'' was the reply; and through
all the hardships of the next two years, little
Ned never murmured; at Fort Ellsworth he
was the life OF the camp, for boys will be boyl
guilty Of malice or deceit. A distinguished
General happened, one evening, to be in bat
terry officers tent, playing whist; as the party
sat in circle, their backs against the canvas
wall, their heads were clearly outlined in the
cloth, and the mischievous Battery Boy could
not resist the temp ktation to give each of then
good rap from the outside. The ranking off
Ger was in rage, but the mysterious culprit
had vanished in the darkness, and, although
the battery officers knew who was the
guilty one, they shielded the boy from punish
ment.
The little fellow was brave to recklessness
always helping the battery in action, and his
exploits would fill columns. One will suffice
While near Manassas, just before the second
Bull Run, the battery was in sight of some
mounted rebel pickets Little Ned was sud.
denly missed, and no one could account for his
absence. But suddenly there was commotioI
among the rebel pickets, and moment later a
horse was seen dashing at breakneck speeI
toward the battery, with the brightly-uniform
ed Battery Boy clinging to his back. Several
of the pickets dashed after, and shower oil
bullets fell about the daring little rider, bui
he rode his capture safely up to the Union
guns.
'Here's horse for you, Sergeant" was all
the young hero said as he cooily dismounted.
'Keep the horse, for you've won him." was
the reply; AID the admieing men of the battery
saw that the animal never wanted for rations.
Little Ned had left the battery unseen, crawled
through the long grass to where the horse was
standing close to the pickets, stealthily united
him from fence, and leaping into the saddle
with shout, had ridden him home in
triumph.
After two years an army doctor engaged the
young soldier to care for his horses, aud since
then his friends of the Eleventh Battery have
lost sight of him. If he was not killed, and if
be has lived through the years since, he has
doubtless grown to be as good citizen as he
was brave soldier. If this ever meets his eye
"Uncle Gabe" would be delighted to hear from
his former protege.