The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-11-17
THE BOY BATTALION.
Why They Did Not End the Civil
War

IN those STIRRING days back in the six
ties the drums, flags and long lines q
marching men took captive the heart
and fired the imagination of bows
Marbles, bats, tops and balls were ex
changed for military implements an,
trappings Every urchin became a sol
dier; every squad of boys a company OF
battalion.
so eager were we, in our North Caro-
lima neighborhood, to fill our ranks a n,
outdo the neighboring plantations. tha-
all manner of recruits were gladly re
celved and enlisted, including our ne
gro playfellows, and on a pinch ever
our sisters and girl cousins.
After time we grew tired of driIlino
and longed for more stirring service
The men had gone to the front and ON,
hearts had gone with them. Our mot
ley companies We're disbanded one by
one, and the more enterprisinp BOYS OF
the neighbOrhood began to discuss tn.
advisability of a 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. oDposad
the enlistment of our fathers W.
heard the loud cry on all sides, that il
was every ones duty to do his utmost
to end the war.
just then we found in the garrets of
our homes several Iong-forgotten lots
of military accoutrements used by rel
atlves IN the Mexican war, or in mill
tia drills That decided the matter.
Now we could equip ourselves.
n marching column. comprised of
Ned Tlppet, Mark Lanny, Tom MaIlet
myself and several smaller bows. was
instantly formed
We We're TO muster at the Creek
Bridge at daybreak. of course we
were too much excited the night before
10 sleep. We We're all on hand before
the day broke. and the boy battalion
was formed. We wore huge Iight-horse
helmets, made of leather. decked with
trailing horsehair 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 GU hands, and under
the lining of the helmets leaves were
stuffed II 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
such irresistible weapons; and we
counted ourselves the most fortunateof
beings in having discovered them.
bore sword which no less an an
thorlty than Uncle Primus, the ear
rlage-driver, declared To be nearly sharn
enough TO shave with. Ned had a
pistol which discharged six shots with
required no cooking. but was fired by
the pulling of the trigger, and Tom
had q rifle that would kill at a distance
of mile.
The fact that | had a sword of course
made me captain After inspecting the
guns To see if they were all loaded, and
to their homes all recruits un-
der nine years old was twelve-for
the reason that they were too small and
had no uniforms or weapons, / shouted
the command
Shoulder arms, Forward mar-rch!'
We trudged bravely forward. AS
soon as the friendly screen of the woods
was reached the command was halted,
or rather il halted itself. in order that
a 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 volley. The other rea-
son, and the chief one, was that the
most formidable enemies of the expedi-
tion 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
than we had ever before known
them and the gullies closer together
and deeper. But filed with enthusi-
asm, we pressed manfully 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
we had also entirely overlooked the com
missary department!
To our minds a soldier was fighter,
pure and simple. We had never for an
instant associated soldering with eat
ing. That the soldier might get killed
= y
bad not dreamed of.
Ny men began to murmur. and now
and then to halt and look back.
urged them on. reminding them that it
was a soldiers duty to suffer and even
lie for his country, and that the more he
lid of both, the greater and truer
soldier he was. With many other cheer
ing words that / had picked up, from
10 the grown people, l ex-
iorted my army to do its duty
But in spite of all could do the COM
nand began To straggle so badly that
was forced to detail Private Lanny as
I rear guard, with strict orders to keep
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
he column and fill that place myself,
lrging my men on, sword in hand.
After awhile we began to skirt pas
.urc in which grew many persimmon
.rces. Among them was a dead one, TO
whose branches some of last years
ruit still clung. The moment the COM
nand .espied these, all order was lost
4 scrambled over the fence and began
q feast
Knowing that an officers place was
With his men, and also being exceed
ngly hungry myself, l was not long in
dining them. The persimmons must
eally have been dry and tasteless, but,
'lentifully sauced with hunger, we
hought them the daintiest food we
lad ever eaten. We swallowed them
~ handfuls.
While ! was in the tree a loud rush
ne ia the leaves of the adjoining
woods attracted my attention We
we're SO tired that ! was sure that we
must have traversed a vast region, and
hought il more than likely that we
we're at last i'm face of the enemy. /
rdered my men down from the per-
immon tree and threw them hurriedly
nto line. i drew my sword and adj
anced my force. with cooked pieces,
o where wood and pasture met