Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-07-12
CAMP FIRE STORIES.
SOMEBODY'S BOY.
The Target of Man with n Grim Face
md n Mnrderous Heart.

SOMEBODYS BOY.
The Target of n Man with a Grim Face
and Murderous Heart.
as we were falling back on Malvern
Hill, j. the peninsular campaign, the
rear-guard fighting back the Confeder-
ate advance, our brigade was wheeled to
the left and another to the right to COW
er the narrow highway and give the
wounded and the stragglers an oppor-
tunity to close up. Across the fields,
which were broken and wooded, advance
ed the the enemv's sMlrnishers, followed
by the double me of baCCle. We check
ed them with volley, JIt they reform
ed ana charged with a cheer. l could
see their faces very plainly under the
smoke, and as they rushed forward ] no.
ticed 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 was coming
straight upon me. Had he been man
l should have killed him. / could have
hit him with my eyes shut. When 1 saw
that it was boy / couldn't fire upon
him. covered him once, but his scared
face turned my gun away.
We let them come charging UP until
some OF the more impetuous were al
most over us, and then there was an aw-
ful crash of muslsetry-a great billow of
flame-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 paralyzed.
Every man had gone down for ten feet
either side of him. AS our cheers burst
forth the boy faced about with the rem
nant of the line and retreated to cover.
/ rejoiced over his escape and l hoped 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 mass
ing for another charge, and again we
made ready to receive them. AS they
came forward 1 saw the same white
faced boy, this time little to the left
of me.
Don't shoot that boy" called to the
men beyond me.
The third man on the left was in line
with the boy. He looked up at me with
a 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. 1 held my
breath as the double-line again ad
vanced A little closer and they fired
volley and then charged. They sought
our death-they were following us to
destroy-they had no mercy. And yet, as
/ fired into the smoke, knowing that my
bullet must find human target, l was
consoled by the reflection that 1 was
not shooting at the boy-at Somebody's
Boy. II he was killed it would be by
the man on my left, and he must answer
for it.
The enemy could not bulge US. They
couldn't touch our fanks, and charge
in front was simply slaughter. Our vol
leys broke their lines-decimated them
threw them in confusiop-and they
were breasted back again. l sprang to
my feet and looked for the boy. The
powder-smolle swirled about-dove down
lifted duplicated away among the
tree tops, 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 I
got glimpse of him the three turned TO
obey the call to retreat, and 1 swung my
cap and cheered. Our whole line was
cheering-the others because they had
again repulse the enemy-I because
Somebody's Boy had again escaped.
And when | looked along our line to
. 1,Nf. = -
the grim face and murderous heart had
missed his target, saw him lying on
the ground-stone dead. A bullet had
struck him fair in the forehead. De-
troit Free Press.