Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1892-05-28
BOYS IN THE CIVIL WAR.
CAPTAIN OF FIFTEEN AND COLI
oNEL OF SEVENTEEN.
This Best ofaeer IN the Reglment-his
Heart Wa, In His work and He
Dldn't Care for FurIoughs
American Boys.

that Gen. Logan could hardly have
been an officer In the Mexican war be-
fore he was l5 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 provo that great many COM
batants OF rank were mere boys"
Early in May. 1864 | then being
an assistant surgeon In the Conieder-
ate service / was stationed at How
ards Grove hospital near Richmond.
Shortly after went there II became
an Alabama hospital and II was then
that came across one OF the many
notable cases 10 which I can refer.
While on my rounds one morning
noticed among the new cases q
scrawny. sailow. thin-cheeked fellow
He was an nsigniticant-looklng young
steT and | was not much surprised
when in response 10 question II
was making up tho hospital record
he said he was 10 years OF age When
asked him what his command was
he said. The 10Th Alabama and
then gave his rank as Captain He
WAS such a poor puny little fellow
that i thought Alabama regiments
must Do badly OIL for officers, don't
know but | was somewhat prejudlced
against him because 81 hls uuprepOs.
sesslug youth. although he had COM
menced to fight when but II years
old He was a decidedly sick boy
not wounded yet | had very poor
opinion Of him Suddenly he spoke
up and said: Doctor I want you to
get me out Of hero as quick as you
can.
We always do that replied.
Yes said he but soldiers don't
always want 70 get out Of hospital. /
went out az the first call and this IA
the first time | have been separated
from my command
''ln day or two he began 10 mend
more rapidly than l expected him
to-and on the fourth day he com.
menced TO bother mo BY insisting that
he was tit for duty. He said ho felt
fully able to got up aud no pleaded
hard with me 20 report him for duty.
/ told him that II | reported him 40
would at once be sent back while I
would be- censurod. BY that time I
had changed my opinion % him. but /
had TO speak somewhat roughly 70
him for two days to prevent him tor.
menting me. On tho seventh day no
again commenced to plead. and ut
last told him that II he improved "a
rapidly in the next twenty-tour hours
rs he had previously would report
him. He held me TO my promise aud
was reported as ft for duty. While
be was In line with Others who were
about to be discharged the hospital
/ mail came, and In IL was big letter
/ addressed 90 him. Hg opened IL and ia
q moment cried out: Take this back;
/ don't want IL Il was a thirty days
furlough which his father an iuauon.
tial man--had procured for him from
Judge Campbell. assistant secretary
/ 81 war. Burroughs wcro very desirfl.
Bile things just then. but that boy cap
tain positively refused his and ro.
turned ut once TO his command some
time aiterward told Col w. G. Oates
Of the youngster. The colonel Who
Is now In congress- commanded the
18th Alabama and when | mentioned
the little fellows name no said;
Why. he Il one o. the best officers
have. He has been with tho ragt.
ment in twenty-five pitched BATTLES
and eighty skirmishes. and stand,
right up 70 fire. He has hts men un.
der better control In field and camu
than any OF the other captains; dOesnft
display his authority as so many 81
the less effective do and Is altogether
n most desirable officer
oh, 1 could tell you about lots OF
boys who proved themselves worthy
the name OF mon, continued ere
surgeon. Theirs was Col. Lowry
who commanded Mississippi reri.
ment. He came into tho hospital
with o saber cut across his face. HI
was II years OF ago and didn't look 4
day older Then there was a Cnp.
tain OF artillery whose right log was
amputated at the thigh. He wa,
from Florida and was but Ia years old
Two South Carolina boys wer,
brought in the same day. One wa,
IL years oil and had lost his RICH,
leg at the hips the other was Is. ant
his left leg had been amputated a
the knee. The younger one n fine
rosy-iaced child succumbed to the
weakness which followed the opera
ton. Everybody around the plac,
was so sorry for him.
II wasn't an old man when / started
out from the little village OF Mill
wood. Mo Ito DO soldier / was ,
private IN the First regiment. Third
division. Missouri State Guard-ther
Ia part Of Prices army. The first hu
man being / saw killed was boy Of
il. Our regiment was at tho battl,
OF Wilson's Creek and some one In ou
ranks fired the shot that killed Gen
Lyon. a 13-year-old boy In compan,
ID claimed TO have fired that shot ant
while he may not have found IL posi-
blc to prove his assertion. no attemp
was ever made TO controvert IL W,
went into that battle with $50 moi
and after eleven hours OF hard fight