The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-10-05
THE BOY BATTALION.
Why They Did Not End the Civil
War.

marching men took captive the hearts
and fired the imagination of boys.
Marbles, bats, tops and balls were ex-
changed for military implements and
trappings. Every urchin became a sol
dier; every squad of boys company or
battalion.
so eager were we, in our North Caro-
lima neighborhood, to fill our ranks and
Guido the neighboring plantations, that
all manner of recruits were gladly re-
ceived and enlisted. including our ne
gro playfcllows, and on pinch even
our sisters and girl cousins.
After time we grew tired of drilling
and longed for more stirring service.
The men had gone to the front and our
hearts had gone with them Our mot
ley companies were disbanded one by
enc, and the more enterprising boys of
the neghborhood began to discuss the
ACCESSIBILITY of forced march to the
seat of war.
To such proceeding we were quite
sure our mothers would object. But
had they not, in some cases, opposed
the enlistment of our fathers? We
heard the loud cry on ala sides, that it
was every ones duty to do his utmost
TO end the war
Just then we found in the garrcts of
our homes several long-forgottcn lots
of military Announcements used by rel
ativcs in the Mexican war, or in milf
tia drills. That decided the matter.
Now we could equip ourselves
A marching column, comprised of
Ned Tippet, Mark Lanny, Tom Mallet,
myself and several smaller boys, was
instantly formed.
We We're to muster at the Creek
Bridge at daybrealz. OF course we
were too much excited the night before
to sleep. We were all on hand before
the day broke, and the boy battalion
was formed. We wore huge lighthouse
helmets, made of leather, declied with
trailing horschair and shaped like the
helmet of Alexander the Great, beside
cutaway coats radiant with buff trim
mings and brass buttons The coat
sleeves were rolled up so that we might
have the use Of our hands, and under
the lining of the helmets leaves were
stuffed to keep them from dropping
down over our faces.
We had an armament that we felt
must be decisive. Indeed, we wondered
how our elders could have overlooked
suck irresistible weapons; and we
counted ourselves the most fortunate of
beings in having discovered them
| bore sword which no less an au-
thority than Uncle Primus, the car
riage-driver, declared to be nearly sharp
enough to shave with Ned had
pistol which discharged six shots with
out reloading. Mark had one which
required no cooking, but was fired by
the pulling of the trigger, and Tom
had Il rifle that would kill at distance
of n mile.
Tho fact that had sword of course
Imado me captain. After inspecting the
guns to see if they were all loaded, and
ordering to their homes all recruits un-
der nine years old was twelvc-for
the reason that they were too small and
had no uniforms or weapons, shouted
tho command
''Shoulder-r arms! Forward marriott"
We trudged bravely forward As
soon as the friendly screen of the woods
was reached the command was halted
or rather it halted itself in order that
n line Of march might be agreed upon,
For two reasons we decided to aban-
don the highway and strike across the
country. One reason was that we
wished to surprise the enemy and end
the war with a vplley. The other rea-
son, and the chief one, was that the
most formidable enemies of tho expedi-
ton in the persons of our mothers held
the rear and would doubtless give pur-
suit along the road.
SO, filing Off by the left flank, we
struck out through the woods and
fields The thorns and briers seemed
thicker than we had ever before known
them and the gullies closer together
and deeper. But filled with enthusi-
asm, we pressed manfuily forward.
The sun crept slowly up, becoming
hotter every moment. Our weapons
grew heavier, and our military coats
seemed to be larger and longer with
every step we made. Hunger reminded
us that we had not only left home with
out breakfast, but that in organizing
wehad also entirely overlooked the COM
missary department!
To our minds a soldier was a fighter,
pure and simple. We had never for an
instant associated soldering with eat
ing, That the soldier might get killed
was likely; that he might get hungry we
had not dreamed of.
My men began to murmur, and now
and then to halt and look back.
urged them on, reminding them that it
was soldiers duty to suffer and even
die for his country, and that the more he
did of both, the greater and truer
soldier he was. With many other cheer
ing words that | had picked up, from
listening to the grown people, eS-
horted my army to do its duty.
But in spite of all l could do the com
mand began to straggle so badly chat
was forced to detail Private Launy Us
rear guard, with strict orders to lxeer
the men in line. But as the rear guard
itself soon began to straggle, l was
forced to quit my place at the head OF
the column and fill that place myself
urging my men on, sword in hand.
After awhile we began to skirt pas
turc in which grew many pcrsinmou
trees. Among them was dead one, tc