The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-08
BOYS AND MEN IN BATTLE.

BOYS AND MEN IN BATTLE.
Discussion in Which Pleasant and Unpleas-
ant "Reminiscences Are Recalled
WASHINGTON, May AFTER the routine bust
ness was disposed of a contest for precedence
arose between private business and the Military
Academy appropriation bill. which was resolved
in favor of the former, and the House went into
committee of the whole-Mr. Crisp, of Georgia,
in the chair-on the private calendar.
The bill which gave rise to the most interesting
discussion was one paying 5000 to F. w Halde
man. The report states that during the war
Haldeman, then a boy of twelve years of age,
desired to join an Ohio regiment, but was re-
fused a muster on account of his age and size.
He. however purchased uniform and served
IN the regiment year, acting as a buger and
performing scout duty He is said to have per-
formed gallant service.
MIR. Bragg. Of Wisconsin. in sarcastic speech.
opposed the bill He r,diculed the idea of boy
too young to be mustered in fulfilling scout duty
and doing gallant service. The great patriotism
which had been displayed by the boy seemed to
have oozed away, and he has become beggar
asking money from the government. A touch Of
sentiment was added to the picture of o battle
scene by placing in the foreground the figure of
a dead drummer boy with his drum beside him.
But it was only sentiment In reality the drum
mer-boy. at the beginning of battle, could be
seen breaking the head of his drum and running
TO the rear to co hospital service. One of the
most glorious memories OF the war was OF the
noble women who became nurses in orier to al
leviate the sufferngs Of the soldiers; but of
these women were found coming to tho war
claims committee begging that their gratuitous
services should be coined into dollars aud cents.
That knocked all the sentiment out Of the thing.
He wanted some of the rich memories of the war
preserved. He did not want them all brought
down to dollars and cents.
Mr. Weaver, of Iowa, admitted that war
pictures were very deceptive, but more deceptive
than the picture of the dead drummer boy was
that which depicted officer with epaulettes,
leading the charge sword Iii hand singing out
"Come on, men," If there Eumbug in
American military history. it that portion
which represented the commissioned officer
leading the charge on the enemys works. AS
rule they were where their orders and rules of
war required them to be--in safe place in the
rear, while the private soldier did the fighting,
shooting and dying.
Mr.. Johnston, of Indiana, maintained that a
lad, though he might be too young to be mus
tered in. could do good service In the regiment
and instanced the case of two boys in his regi-
ment who had. at the battle of Richmond per-
formed their duty gallantly. They did as much
for their country did the man who led the
Iron Brigade and who now attacked boy who
had barred his breast TO save his country. The
gentleman from Wisconsin had attacked the
nurses ia the army. If poor woman had given
her service to her country, and now, with health
shattered and peans gone, asked the country to
do something for her, was it not as honorable
for the government to help her to raise the
pension of q generaH
Mr.. Bragg inquired where this brave boy had
barred his breast. He had blown his bugle some
where as a scout, Had the scouts that served IN
the command OF the gentleman from Indiana
heralded their coming with buglesa Did it's
scouts go out with brass band! If that had
b0en the practice of the command it should have
had some officers of the regular order to teach 1T
its duties. There was occasion for all this
talk about officers. The gentleman from Iowa
MR. Weaver wanted to know who had ever seen
an officer lead charge. He Mr. Bragsl had
seen the gentlemen who followed the stars and
bars coming down in advance OF their lines, lead
ing their men plumb up against the musketry
and carrying works at the point or the bayonet.
He had seen officers who, full of enthusiasm. had
cried: "t1o in, boys. l am little man, but
will be here to receive you.' The army he had
served with had had officers who were not afraid
to fight These officers the soldiers had had con-
6dence in. and when he heard men who said
they had been soldiers talk over and abuse
officers he was led to the belief that they had
belonged to the squad of camp followers. What
was the record of the battle of Richmonds
Mr. Johnston commended to the gentleman
from Wisconsin the reading of the military his
tory of his country. The battle of Richmond
had lasted for ten hours, and for the number of
troops engaged it had been az severe q battle as
had been fought during the war.
Mr.. Bragg-How many men feli7
Mr.. Johnston-I haven't got the figures here
There were thousands of them. There were
about 8. 900 men engaged on the Union side and
about $4,000 or $4,000 were with Kirby Smith.
Continuing, he repealed the charge that he had
ever abused the officers. He had never tried to
detract from an officers reputation, but he had
tried to stand by the interest of the private SOL
der
Mr.. Bragg-Was it not fact that nearly all
the command to which you belonged was cap
tured at Richmond
Mr.. Johnston-A great many were
Mr. Bragg-And was not the balance sent back
to General Wolford to be drilledi Laughter
MIR. Johnston-In that battle we SUBJECT
ed to many humiations, but no humiliation so
great as TO be drilled by the gentleman from
Kentucky [Mr. Wolford The General a
brave man, but / never saw him have his own
troops under command in my life. Laughter
1t is a remarkable spectacle for a man who
claims to have been a Union soldier and to have
had sympathy with the Union cause, now at this
late day TO eloat over humiliation.
Mr. Wolford, OF Kentucky. rose. as he said. to
reply to the unjust insinuation made by the
gentleman from Indiana Mr. Johnston.l He
had commanded regiment, brigade and di-
vision. and he had never been ashamed Of them.
or they Of him. He had led them in hundred
kafs H. Ma hA2 A-sf la4 g. A.