The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1885-10-07
a VERY YOUNG SOLDIER.
An Indianapolis Boy Who Enlisted When
Only Eleven Years Old.


dispatch says that Mr.. Herbert Foy, of Ohio.
has been notified by the War Department that
he was the youngest soldier enlisted during the
war, having been enrolled IN Company A, One
Hundred and Thirteenth Ohio Volunteers, at
the age of thirteen years, eleven months and
nine days. There is no knowledge at the War
Department of any such letter having been sent,
and it would be an enormous task to search the
old records for such a result The records show,
however that Mr. A. +. Sprlngsteen, who is
now employed in the Ordinance Bureau, was en-
| rolled in Company A. Thirty-ffth Indiana Vol
unteers, Nov. a. 1861, being at the time only
eleven years and four months old.
indianapolis a center for the Western
troops" said Mr. Springsteen to Post reporter,
''and when the soldiers marched into the city
after passing my fathers house, | was seized
with uncomfortable desire to get out and
march with them. Often / disappeared from
the house, leaving my breakfast unfinished and
was not seen again for several days. | would
get among the soldiers and play the drum for
| them which made me great favorite, and they
| would keep me two or three days at time.
| Captain Conklin, Company A, Thirty -fifth In
| diana volunteers who was friend of my father,
wanted to drum for his company, and on
Nov. "a, 1861, was regularly enlisted and at
| tached to his command"
How old were you at that timer"
"Eleven years, four months and some days.
lived III barracks with the regiment at Camp
Morton, perfectly contented, until Dec. 13, when
| we were ordered to move. l had not mentioned
| the subject at home, but packed my
| knapsack and marched with the regi-
ment to the depot. but here. from some
| unknown cause our start delayed. l was
| sitting on the curbstone, the center of crowd
| of newsboys and bootblacks, who were my sub
| jects, and who listened with gistening eyes to
| how intended to scatter the Johnnes, when
suddenly my parents who had been apprised of
| the intended departure of the regiment appeared
| close at hand. My father captured my drum,
| and mother, who came prepared, hustled me
III lon a1n chk,x nDdI 6fr'f JpE
| my feet touched the ground until l was landed
| safely at home The next day l was bundled off
| to uncle, who lived in the country, six miles
| from Noblesvile, for safe keeping. kept pretty
| quiet for two three weeks, until had allayed
all suspicion of intended surreptitous departure,
| when was allowed the freedom of the place.
| This was my chance. and the next day met a
farmer. on his way to Noblesville, and
got him to let me ride with him to
| town. There I took the train to Indian
apolis, and on my arrival went straight
| to my home, where l supposed they
would be glad to me. Such not the
| case, for the next day | found myself on the
| read to Buck Greek, place about forty-five
| miles from Indianapolis, and twenty from
railroad station. l didn't know the road to any
town, so concluded they had me, and tried to
content myself by working around my uncle's
| farm.
was brought home. About this time the Indian
apolis arsenal advertised for number of boys,
! and l went down and got job greasing bullets,
but was cautioned by my mother not to mention
my previous enlistment. | was in paradise for
awhile prenaring the munitions of war; but the
associations of the place brought back my old
desire to play the drum, and when. one day, Su-
perintendent Tindall, who recruiting COM
pany for the Sixty third Indiana Volunteers,
mentioned the fact of having no drummer, |
couldn't be silent any longer, and told him my
whole story, and told him if he would get me a
drum would help him in his recruiting work.
He readily consented, and was stationed in the
State house square, where the music of
my drum attracted the countrymen who
came to town, and company was soon
complete The company was then marched
to the Office of the examining surgeon. When
appeared, stripped, before the officer he laughed
and said: What do you want! | can't pass you. ,
But | am the drummer of Company |. Sixty
third Indiana Volunteers, and have been in the
army before. said, as the tears of indignation
and disappointment began to oOze to My eyes.
Cant help it, said the surgeon, you under
age. and | can't pass You Captain Tindall
found me sitting on the fence and sobbing hope
lessly. and asked why cried. | told him how
had been treated, and urged him to see the sur
geon and represent my case properly. He did
So telling the officer that had been enlisted be-
fore and could stand the work. This had the
desired effect, and, to my great joy. was passed
and became full soldier To gain the consent
of my parents to my second enlistment L had
| told them would never have to leave town ex-
out to quiet any disturbances in our ne;ghbor
hood. When at length received orders to
take the field, l prepared my mother by
| telling her we were going on one Of these excur
| sions, but should be gone longer than usual. She
believed me, and insisted that should sleep in
| the house the night before we left. l complied,
and we all went to bed about 10 o'clock. l didn't
| sleep well for thinking of the morrow. and sud
| denly the horrible idea struck that perhaps
| this sleeping in the house was only a scheme to
| home a
| midnight, when all was perfectly still, and
! climbed out my window to little porch and
| thence to the ground In half an hour 1 was
| cured up in my bunk at the barracks, sound
asleep. We were to start at 5 o'clock next
| morning and when reached the depot
watched my chance and ensconced myself in the
| far end of a freight car, behind some cracker
boxes. Here l awaited breathlessly the starting
of the train; but before the time l heard
| voice calling, 'Abe Abel and Captain
Tindail stuck his head in the door
| fSh-h! What's the matterP l said peepng
cautiously out from my barrier, Come out
here, you young rascal said the Captain, laugh
| ing Here are your father and mother and sis
| tiers all crying themselves to death because you
| didn't say goodbye Tell 'em | amt here
| said. still fearing another conspiracy to kidnap
me. oh. that won't do said Captain Tindall.
/ Come out and say goodbye; it's all right
| went ont and kissed them all, telling mother we
| would soon be back, and then the train moved
out and we were off for the war;
The Sixty third Indiana Volunteers with
which Mr.. Springsteen remained until the end
of the war, has gallant record on file in the
War Department After garrison and guard
| duty at Camp Nelson, Knoxville and other points,
| it was with Sherman in his Atlanta campaign
! and was engaged in some of the hottest fights of
| the war; among them Resaca, Kennesaw Mount
air. Atlanta Franklin Nashville and Fort An
derson.
| PRESBYTERIANISM RENOUNCED