The Laurens advertiser. (Laurens, S.C.) 1885-1973, 1894-05-29
THE pRusisiER ROY.
Sad Story ola Brave Little Lad Who
Ssied at ChickamauRa.

IEW. Il
THE DRUMMER BOY.
Sad Story ola Brave Little Lad Who |
sbied at Chickamauga.
It was in the latter part of August. |
1853, and the great Army of tho Cum
bertrand was moving through the
dehles OF the Cumberland mountains,
along the Tennessee, in pursuit OF
Bragg's ~retreating forces. The
weather was ~scorching hot, the noun
tain trails were crushed into streams
Of dust, and the bronzed, blue-clad mon
suffered at times very much from want
of water.
In cavalry brigade went into camp
near the Fighting Observation-Disclosures,
and here for the first time / saw Needy"
Watts, the diminutive drummer boy,
who had become h idol of the bronzed
soldiers. He was a bright boy of
fourteen, dressed in a rusty blue uni
form and small for his years, looked
wholly unfit for the hardships of such
q campaign. But he was as CHEEKY
and bright as IL he considered this
desperate work. the merest play. I
learned from the men of the Fifteenth
that Neddy's mother died when he was
a little child. His father, the color
sergeant OF the regiment, was killed at
Stone river eight months before this.
How the boy CHANGED to drift down
from Cincinn; Il to the army was not
clearly expla ID, but certain it is
that as soon as he appeared in the
camp OF the Fighting Fifteenth"
and announced himself as the son of
Sergeant Watts, he was at once adopted
and made the drummer of the color
company.
= AT daybreak the next morning the
infantry began to ford the river. It
was up to the waist of the tallsst man
AS our bugler sounded "boots and
saddles" l bethought me of the boy.
l was mounted on a powerful horse
and, being but q youth myself, and
comparatively light. 1 determined to
give the lad q lift. Being q commits
stoned officer, l had the license to do
this. The advance of the Fifteenth
was already in the river when I rode
up the boy, who had his drum on his
back, while a tall, bearded giant was
preparing to carry him over on his
shoulders. Neddy was delighted at
my proposition and when my purpose
was understood by the soldiers a hun
dred strong hands were ready to lift
him into the saddle behind me.
At 5his point the Tennessee is fully
q half mile wide, SO that l had a good
chance to talk to Neddy as We vent
over. l found him sweet and innocent,
as il he had known the want Of
a generous fathers protection or a
loving mothers care. When | set him
down on the opposite bank he drew
himself up likea soldier, and, with a
military ~solute, said, 81 thank you
very much for the ride, captain, and I
hope to see you again." 81 hope to
meet you, too, Neddy," [ replied !;
%"goodby., and God bless you," and so
we parted.
When 1 saw Neddy Watts again it
was under the most trying cfrcum-
stances and on the awful field Of
Chickamauga. 1t was Sunday, the
Goth Of September, and on the previous
day the right and left wings of our
army had been unexpectedly set upon
by the enemy and routed. Only the
center remained intact under the COM
mand of that gallant soldier, General
Thomas, and on its stability and valor
depended the fate Of the army of the
Cumberland. Along with General
Thomas was a remant of the Fighting
Fifteenth. When the battle began
600 of that gallant regiment responded
to the roll call now there was only 107
left, and among them was Neddy
Watts, the drummer boy.
The cavalry brigade to which I was
attached was dismounted and set to
the frc1t to aid the infantry in hold
ing the hill of Chickamauga. AS we
lay upon the ground waiting for the
enemy ] glanced along the line, and
near the colors [ saw the d%iminutive
form n the rusty drum of the boy I
had helped across the Tennessee.
The enemy was about 800 yards away,
and a terrific fire was pouring across
this space from both sides. The in
tervenlng ground was covered with
the dead and wounded Of both armies,
many of whom were %piteously crying
for water to appease their burning
thirst.
When a man become helpless and
suffering In battle we forget the color
of his uniform, and, uncaring whether
he be friend or foe, the humanity
which is common to all mon urges us
to help him. From where we lay we
could distinctly hear q gray-bearded
Confederate officer, who sat with his
back to a tree, and whose legs were
shattered by q cannon shot, crying
piteously for water. Before his pur-
pose could be OWNED, or a hand raised
to slap him, Neddy Watts, who had a
canteen like the other soldiers, could
be seen creeping forward on his hands
and knees, the drum at his back MAX
Ing him particularly conspicuous.
we understood his purpose, and after
he had refused the appeals to come
back we sent up q cheer to
him.
Solid shot and shell and musket
bullets by thousands crashed and
Whistled across tLis space but Neddy
Watts paid 20 heed to them. His pur-
pose was to a v and not to destroy.
He reached the wounded foeman, and
we could see him hold his canteen to
the gray lips until the burning thirst
was stayed. His mission over, Neddy
left the canteen in the mans hands
and turned to make his way back to
the lines of the Fifteenth. At that
instant a shell exploded not five feet
away. He leaped to his feet, threw up
his hands, and, staggering back, fell
in the arms OF the man to whose rescue
he had gone.
When darkness brought q cessation
OF the battle some of Neddy's comrades
crept out of the line to recover the
body, and they found him lying as If
asleep in tho arms of the dead Con-
federate.
"A special to the New Orleans |