The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1892-03-24
BOYS In THE CIVIL WAR.
CAPTAIN OF FIFTEEN AND COL
ONEL OF SEVENTEEN.
The Best Officer In the Regiment-His
Heart Was In His Work and He
Didn't Care for Burroughs
American Boys.

IL noticed in q Washington Star
where mention was made of young
congressman, a statement to the effect
that Gen. Logan could hardly have
been an officer in the Mexican war be-
fore he was Is years of age" The
speaker was a medical man of this city
who was surgeon during the war.
MY own experience, he continued,
'would prove that great many COM
batants of rank were mere boys"
Early in May, 1864, I then being
an assistant surgeon in the Confeder-
ate service. l was stationed at How
ards Grove hospital, near Richmond.
Shortly after went there it became
an Alabama hospital, and it was then
that came across one of the many
notable cases to which I can refer.
While on my rounds one morning I
noticed among the new cases a
scrawny sallow, Unchecked fellow.
He was an Notwithstanding young
ster, and l was not much surprised
when. in response to a question:
was making up the hospital record
he said he was Is years of age. Whan
asked him what his command was
he said, The Is tn Alabama and
then gave his rank as Captain. He
was such poor. puny little fellow
that [ thought Alabama regiments
must be badly off for officers. don't
know but was somewhat prejudiced
against him because Of his unprepos-
sesslng youth, although he had COM
menced to fight when but II years
old. He was a decidedly sick boy
not wounded--yet I had very poor
opinion of him. Suddenly he spoke
up and said: Doctor, I want YOU to
get me out of here as quick as you
cam
I'VE always do that I replied.
eyes said he, but soldiers don't
always want to get out of hospital. I
went out at the first call and this is
the first time I have been separated
| from my command
| I'm day or two he began to mend
more rapidly than I expected him
to-and On the fourth day he CON-
menced to bother me by insisting that
he was fit for duty. He said he felt
fully able to get up and he pleaded
hard with me to report him for duty,
I told him that if Ireported him he
would at once be sent back, while I
would be censured. BY that time |
had changed my opinion of him, but
had to speak somewhat roughly to
him for two days to prevent him tor.
menting me. On the seventh day he
again commenced to plead and 1 at
last told him that if he improved as
rapidly in the next twenty-f four hours
as he had previously I would report
him. He held me to my promise and
was reported as fit for duty. While
i he was in line with others who were
about to be discharged the hospital
mail came, and in it was a big letter
addressed to him. He opened it and in
moment cried out: Take this back:
I don't want it. It was thirty DAYS
furlough which his father-an infuen-
tial man-had procured for him from
Judge Campbell, assistant secretary
Of war. Burroughs were very desira-
BILE things just then, but that boy CAP
tain positively refused his and re-
turned at once to his command. Some
time afterward I told Col. W. C. Oates
| of the youngster. The colonel who
| is now in. congress, commanded the
| 10Th Alabama. and when I mentioned
the little fellows name he said:
Why, he is one Of the best officers I
have. He has been with the regi.
ment in twenty-five pitched battles
and eighty skirmishes and stands
right up to fire. He has his men un-
der better control in field and camp
than any of the other captains; doesn't
display his authority as so many of
the less effective do, and is altogether
most desirable officer
'Oh, l could tell you about lots of
boys who proved themselves worthy
the name of men," continued the
surgeon. There was Col. Lowry,
who commanded a Mississippi reei-
ment. He came into the hospital
with a saber cut across his face. He
was II years of age and didn't look a
day older Then there was Cap
tain of artillery whose right leg was
amputated at the thigh. He was
from Florida and was but Ii years old.
Two South Carolina boys were
brought in the same day. One was
- years old and had lost his right
leg at the hip; the other was Is, and
his left leg had been amputated at
the knee. The younger one-a fine,
rosy-faced child-succumbed to the
weakness which followed the opera
ton. Everybody around the place
was SO sorry for him.
Il wasn't an old man when started
out from the little village of Mill
wood Mo. to be soldier. was a
private in the First regiment, Third
division, Missouri State Guard-then
a part of Prices army. The first hu-
man being I saw killed was boy of
IA. Our regiment was at the battle
Of Wilson's Creek, and some one in our
ranks fired the shot that killed Gen.
Lyon. A 13-year- old boy in company
d claimed to have fired that shot and
while he may not have found it posi-
BILE to prove his assertion. no attempt
was ever made to controvert it. We
went into that battle with 2S6 man