Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1884-09-11
A Confederate Soldier.

So many acts OF heartlessness and
cruelty during the great civil war, have
been recorded that it is real pleasure
to have an opportunity to record an
act of manly kindness on the part of
gallant Confederate soldier to Yankee
boy. "a 81
In the town of Bennington, in the
Green Mountains of Vermont, in the
spring of 1861, there lived poor wild
ow with six children, five boys and one
little girl. the youngest of the former a
stripping fourteen years old. When
the wires flashed the news from Wash
ington all over our land, that the Reh-
els had fired upon the old flag at Fort
Sumpter, the four older boys responded
to their country's call, and hurried to
the seat of war. The younger lad, his
heart fired with genuine Green-Moun-
tain patriotism, ran away from home,
and eluding pursuit, made his way to
the camp on the Potomac But his ar
dor was somewhat damped by the dis
covery of the fact that he could not, in
consequence of his youth and diminu-
tiveness, enlist as a soldier. Determined
to remain at the front, and having, as
the saying is, to scratch for living, he
went to selling newspapers to the sol
diers. Leaving the camp between New
Baltimore and Warrenton, about the
10th Of November, 1862, he went to
Washington for supply of papers.
Having accomplished his object, the
young lad set out on horseback for the
camp, having to travel distance of
thirty miles. A change of position by
the army during his absence had oc-
CURED, and as consequence he ran in
to the Rebel picket line and was cap
tured, and taken to Gen. j. f. B. Stew
arts headquarters, at q hotel in War
renton, and from there was sent to Lib
by Prison, in Richmond, arriving there
November 13. Maj. Turner was in
command of the prison, and when the
young prisoner was brought into his
presence, observing that he was mere
boy, the Major spoke kindly to him,
and after his name had been enrolled,
asked him the customary question, if
he had any money or valuables about
his person. The frightened boy had
managed to conceal his money, $3.50,
in his boot, and in answer to the ques-
ton, put his hand down, and while a
tear drop glistened in his bright eye,
and his boyish lip quivered, he brought
it forth and handed it to the Rebel Maj
or, and trying hard to choke down the
swelling in his throat, he told of his
widowed mother at home, his four
brothers in the army, his having made
this money selling papers, and saving it
to send, with his brothers wages, to his
mother. The Major folded the boys
passes around the money, and said to
him, "You shall have this again, my
boy, when you are permitted to go from
here
Six weeks afterward the lad was pa
rolled and repairing to Major Turner's
office. the kind officer. handing him the
package of money and his passes, just
as he had received them said, "Here is
your money, my boy"
With again trembling hands, but
joyous heart, the little fellow took the
package. He was sent to Washington,
and few weeks afterward was going
his old rounds selling newspapers. The
boy was Doc Aubrey, 1.-THE News Boy
of the Iron Brigade" who now resides
in Milwaukee, and he gave us these
facts during the late reunion of the
Iron Brigade in this city.