The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-02-13
THE BOYS IN THE WAR.
An Bx-Surgeon Tells Stories of Young
sters on the Southern Side.

sters on the Southern Side.
From the Washington Star
al noticed in last Saturdays Star, where
mention was made Of young congressman,
statement to the effect that Gen. Logan
could hardly have been an officer in the
Mexican war before he was 10 years Of
age" The speaker was a medical man of
this city who was a surgeon during the war
MY own experience" he continued.
would prove that great many combat
antssof rank we're mere boys.
Early in May, 1864, then being an assist
ant surgeon in the confederate service,
was stationed at Howard's Grove hospital,
near Richmond. Shortly after went there
IL became an Alabama hospital, and 1t was
then that came across one Of the many not.
able cases to which l can refer. While on
my rounds one morning l noticed among
the new cases a scrawny, sallow, thin
checked fellow. He was an insignificant look
ing youngster and was not much surprised
when, in response to a question: was
making up the hospital record-he said he
was 10 years Of age. When 1 asked
him what his command was he said,
The Fifteenth Alabama and then gave
his rank as captain. He was such a poor,
puny little fellow that l thought Alabama
regiments must be badly off for officers. I
don't know but was somewhat prejudiced
against him because of his unprepossessiug
youth, although he had commenced to fight
when tut IL years old. He was decidedly
sick boy-not wonnded-yet / had very
poor opinion Of him. Suddenly he spoke
up and said. Doctor, want you to get me
out of here as quick as you cam
we always do that replied.
WANTED TO BE AT THE FRONT.
eyes said he, but soldiers don't
always want to get out of hospital went
out at the first call, and this is the first
time have been separated from my COM
mand.
'In day or two he began to mend-more
rapidly than l expected him to-and on the
fourth day he commenced to bother me by
insisting that he was fit for duty. He said
be felt fully able to get up and he pleaded
hard with me TO report him for duty. l
told him that il l reported him he would at
once be sent back, while I would be CEN
sured. By that time l had changed my
opinion Of him, but had to speak some
what roughly to him for two days to pre-
vent him tormenting me. On the seventh
day he again commenced to plead, aud l at
last told him that il he improved as rapidly
in the next twenty-four hours as he had
previously l would report him. He held me
to my promise and was reported as fit for
duty. While he was in line with others who
were about to be discharged the
hospital mail came. and in it
was big letter addressed to
him. He opened it and in moment cried
out: Take this back; don't want it. It
WAS thirty days furlough which his father
an influential mau-had procured for him
from Judge Campbell, Assistant Secretary
Of War. Burroughs were very desirable
things just then, but that boy captain posi-
lively refused his and returned at once to
his command. Some time afterward l told
Col w. G. Oates Of the youngster. The
colonel, who is now in congress, commanded
the Fifteenth Alabama, and when / men
toned the little fellows name, he said:
"Why, he is one of the best officers have.
He has been with the regiment in twenty
five pitched battles and eighty skirmishes,
and stands right up to fire. He has his men
under 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 o.
icer."
A COLONEL AT II.
20, 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
regiment He came into the hospital with
a saber cut across his face. He was II years
Of age and didn't look day older Then
there was a captain of artillery whose right
leg was amputated at the thigh. He was
from Florida and was but IA years
old. Two South Carolina boys were
brought in the same day. One was
Is 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-suc-
cumbed to the weakness which followed the
operation. Everybody around the place
was SO sorry for him.
A FATHER AND TWO SONS.
"I wasn't an old man when started out
from the little village of Wildwood, Mo.-to
be a soldier | was private in the first
regiment, third division, Missouri state
guard-then part Of Prices army. The
first human being | saw killed was boy of
IA. Our regiment was at the battle OF Will
sons 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 poss BILE to prove his assertion. no attempt
was ever made to controvert it, We went
into that battle with 236 men, and after
eleven hours of hard fighting came out with
1O5. The boys were conspicuous there.
Cant. Halleck commanded one Of our COM
pauies. He had been land office official
under Buchanan and was well
known. In his company were his two sons
Alonzo, aged 10. and William, aged IA.
Father and sons were bound by the most
stfectionate ties; their tenderness toward
each other wss touching and beautiful.
After we had been fighting for about three
hours Capt. Halleck was shot through the
brain right In sight Of his boys. We were
moving forward then. aud had only gone
something like quarter Of a mile when
Alouzo was shot through the heart. Willie
ran to him and held MIN in his arms for
the brief period before death came. If l
lived l 900 years 1 could never forget that
little scene, how the survivor cried for
awhile as though the light had gone out Of
his life, and how he picked up his musket,
took his place in line and fought until the
battle ended.