The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-03-29


HE&s93 n ant Of my company. l
IL II may say in all sincerity
n, u 4 H I shrink from claiming
49, 7 TO have been a soldier
at all. People look at
me so incredulously when / tell them what an
infant ! was, and when ! am asked whether
7 saw any active service, I am positively
ashamed to think was not big enough and
strong enough to carry gun or kill a gray
back; but I did have a good drum, and they
say / beat it well.
al recollect little episode connected with
our short stay at the Capital Of Kentucky; it
was after we had broken camp and were march
ing through the streets of Louisville, striking
out from the Bardstown road. The band had
stopped playing, the flies and drums taking up
the refrain, and l was doing my level best to
be heard above the din Of excited cheers aud
CALCULATIONS.
MY DRUM NEARLY TOUCHED THE GROUND,
and the long steps I had to take to keep the
pace made NE, no doubt, quite conspicuous
figure. Upon the sidewalk, elboWing his way
along the curb, was a FrenChman, whose excited
gestures greatly amused me; he kept pointing
at me and shouting to everybody: See re
child, sec re child; mon Dieu, see re childl'
Unable to restrain himself any longer, his en-
thusiasm eliminated in an act which ! shall
always remember. | was watching him fur
lively, for ! must confess that his actions made
me think him crazy. ! felt rather nervous at
his making me the object of his enthusiasm.
Suddenly thrusting his hand into his pocket
and pulling out something, he started into the
street, and I must have shown as he reached
my side that / wassuspicious of his movement,
for he spoke some reassuring word, then
grasping my left hand with one of his with
the other he pressed into it and closed my fin
gers upon two silver halfdOllars, and with
some patriotic exclamation regained his place
- al. H..
before and still making me the subject OF his
talk. He followed the regiment until the
street blended into hard macadamzed road,
then turned back, waving his hat, and so disap-
peared.
at Halls Gap our brigade built six miles Of
corduroy road from our camp to the scene of
battle, where only two days before the rebel
General Zolleofer was killed, and I rode the
horses that drew the logs. They brought the
body Of Zollicofsr over this corduroy road and
inferred it in the Nashville Cemetery. ] re-
member the day perfectly, and recall how the
boys cut pieces Of wood from the box and the
covered wagon that contained the remains of
the General.
AT this same pIace-Hall's CAPT had the
measles and luZuriated at the home Of loyal
Kentuckian, while l was convalescing on
cream-tartar biscuit, milk and honey.
Shall I ever forget the following incident:
When We left Nashville we marched under 4
toll-gatc Of the old-well-sweep style. Before
Us, as we went through, rose and fell and fut-
tered the old flag On the disloyal wind. To the
left as we passed the gate and high up on hill
stood an old stone mansion, whose master was
carrying musket somewhere in our army. In
the doorway stood three picturesque figures a
gray haired woman and q beautiful girl, II or
IL years Of age, supporting between them an
Old black nanny toothless and decrepit a
red b2ndana handkerchief worn On her head
IN -H4 Eel
fathers, another Lieutenants and my own
climbed that hill and asked for milk, which
was given me to the capacity of the vessels
bore. The only pay that was asked me then
was a kiss from each Of the three. The white
haired mother took it and gave me her bless
ing; The old nanny" put her hand upon
my head, wet my own cheeks with her tears
saying, bress his little heart while that
sweet rosy girl said never word, but putting
her arms around me, kissed me dozen times.
Did l not tell you once about the boys of
the Sd ONO Cav. putting up job on me?
was riding with them one day on Fan extra
horse, when | was instructed to 90 forward sa-
Lutte the division commander, and ask him the
time OF day. Gen. I. J. Wood with his staff was
about 200 yards ahead. / reached the place, gal
leped up to the General, saluted him and asked
him the time Of day; whereupOn he said to me-
with frown and an oath Go to h, you
little imp You can imagine the gale my report
set the regiment in. And ] did not repeat my
innocent familiarity with the starred shoulder
straps again.
a. can see the midnight when my regiment
was ordered, double-quick, to lend hand in
the battle Of Shiloh, and ] remember nv eager
ness to go and sec the fight; my disappont-
ment when father told me | must stay behind:
how hid, was found, and ordered to be tied in
one Of the am5ulances that my father supposed
was TO 20 to Little Savannah the next dav.
fld 70 find tI,o+
mistaken and that the ambulance was fol-
lowing close on the heels of the regiment; how,
at Savannah VIC got mixed up in q wagon
blockade, and / was detained afteralI the regi-
meut slipping away from me; how | slept that
night IN the open air between two bales Of hav.
and next day came near having fight with a
wounded drummer boy of the rebel army: how.
at last got on q steamer and surprised nv
father by
APPEARING on THE BATTLEFIELD.
" One night I took my turn as was REQUIRED
Of drummer boys on the outposts and [ carry
to this day scar upon my right ear, the result
Of wound received by falling back upon
wood pile gathered to keep the watchfre going
that night.
But when I think Of the other bows that
can show records Of service so superior to mine
IN brave and heroic deeds am not anxious to
tell my campfire incidents, and one can put in
few and simple words my uneYentful and unin-
teTestng war career"
Comrade White is member of Seth vii.
liams Post of Augusta, Me-, and. as NAV he
supposed is very youthful looking. The Diet-
| ure inclosed herewith is copied from daguer-
reotype Of him when drummer boy at Mans
field, Camp Buckingham, October 1861.
1t would be, indeed, a distinguished honor 10
any comrade to have been the youngest soldier
IN the Grand Army Of the Republic, and I can
but think Comrade Whites claim is first. If
| not where is the boy who was less than nine
years old when he entered the United States
| service in any capacity FL S. BANGS, Water
ville Me.
r. w TANsTrr. g. "a Cybioogo III