St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-07-07
SOMEBODY'S BOY.

The Whole Line Cheered, Most
Because the Enemy Had Been
Repulsed, but One Because He
Had Again Escaped From Death.
Detroit Free Press.
AS we were falling back upon NAL
vern Hill, in the Peninsular campaign,
the rear guard fighting back the Con-
federate advance, our brigade was
wheeled to the left and another to the
right to cover the narrow highway and
give the wounded and the stragglers an
opportunity to close up. Across the
fields, which were broken and wooded,
advanced the enemy's skirmiSherS, fol-
lowed by double line of battle. We
checked them with volley, but they
reformed and charged with cheer. l
could see their faces very plainly under
the smoke, and as they rushed forward
l noticed that the man directly in
front Of me was not man, but
STRIPPING Of boy. He didn't
look to be more than fifteen years old,
and his face was white and scared. /
had dead rest with my musket, and
this boy coming straight upon me. Had
he been a man should have killed him.
| could have hit him with my eyes shut.
When saw that it was boy l couldn't
IRE upon him. l covered him once, but
his scared face turned my gun away.
We let them come charging up until
some of the more impetuOuS were almost
over us, and then there was an awful
crash OF musketry, a great Diliow of
f1ame-a thousand cries and curses.
The flame of death had licked up their
lines. | was looking for the boy as the
smoke lifted. He stood. musket in
hand, looking about him as if para
lyzed. Every man had gone down for
ten feet either side of him. AS our
cheers burst forth the boy faced around
with the remnant of the line and re-
treated to cover. | rejoiced over his
escape. and I hoped that if another
charge was made he would not be with
them.
Half an hour passed, and now we
were the rear guard-a brigade holding
the narrow road. We saw the enemy
massing for another charge. and again
we made ready to receive them. AS
they came forward [ saw the same
white-faced boy, this time little to the
left of me.
Don't shoot that boyv' / called to
the men beyond me.
The third man on the left was in line
with the boy. He looked up at me with
sardonic smile, and then he rested his
musket and covered the boy, to kill him
when the word came to fire. An enemy
was an enemy to him, whether man or
boy. He was there to kill. l held my
breath as the double line again adj
vanced. A little closer, and they fired
volley and then charged. They sought
foil nxxrfr ff,
destroy-they had no mercy. And yet,
my bullet must find a human target, l
was consoled by the reflection that 1
was not shooting at the bOy-at Some
b0dy's Boy. If he was killed it wonld
be by the man on my left, and he must
answer for it.
The enemy could not bulge us. They
couldn't touch our TANKS. and a charge
in front was simply slaughter. Our vol
leys broke their lines-decimated them
threw them into confusion-and they
were breasted back again. [ sprang to
my feet and looked for the boy. The
powder smoke swirled about-dove
down-lifted duplicated away among
the treetOps, and my heart bounded as
l saw Somebody's Boy again. He stood
with two comrades, the remnant. per-
haps, of his whole company. Just as 1
got a glimpse of him the three turned
to obey the call to retreat, and I swung
my cap and cheered. Our whole line
was cheering, the others because they
had once more repulsed the enemy, and
l because Somebody's Boy had again
escaped.
And when 1 looked along our line to
the left wondering how the man with
the grim face and murderous heart had
missed his target, [ saw him lying dead
on the ground, stone dead. A bullet
had struck him fair in the forehead.