The Philipsburg mail., 1899-11-03
A BOy in Battle.

John McDermOtt, the mascot of the
Tenth Pennsylvania volunteers, is
probably the youngest American boy
who has gone to Manila and actually
taken part in the war excitement. He
was only little over 12 years old, and
small for his age, when he started on
his long voyage across the Pacific.
When mere tot he was familiar fig
ure on the streets Of Pittsburg as a
sinner who never sighted job. and
later he added the business of a
"newsy" to his means of earning a
| livelihood. Boots" says he belongs to
the Tenth regiment, but the soldiers
say the regiment belongs to him. His
acquaintance with the Tenth came
through the honest shines he put upon
their footwear. They nicknamed him
Boots" One day, when the train bear
ing the regiment to Mount Gretna to
attend state encampment was about
to pull out from the station, private,
spying Boots on the platform, bun
died him into a car and managed to
keep him in hiding until the regiment
reached it's destination. He was only
10 years old then, but, being bright and
active and willing to make himself
useful, the soldiers took to him kindly
After his first visit to Mount Gretna
! he became an attendant on the regi-
ment wherever it went, and for two
years before going to Manila he tented
with it on the old camp ground. He
was with his boys in camp when the
word was received that they were to
go to Manila, and he decided at once to
! 60 along. The train bearing the SOL
diers to the Pacific coast stopped a
few minutes at the Pittsburg station
to allow the soldiers last word with
the friends thronging the platform.
knowing his mother was too i'll to be
there, Boots" sprang down the steps
and, rushing through the crowd, made
I his way to his home to kiss her good
by. With a hasty farewell to the other
members of the family, he hurried
back, reaching the station just in time
to swing himself on the rear end of
the moving train. Until after the train
left Ogden, Utah, Boots shared in
the best that was going. But, for some
| TGdSOu, LIE luCll ODJCStNN W
his presence among the men, and or
dered him to leave the train at the
! next station. Instead of obeying,
"Boots" crept under a seat until the
next station was passed, when he ven
tured to creep out again. Angry at
being thus baffled, the conductor began
series of prosecutions against the lit
| Ro1l ioh doc 70 tho thrnatC nf
the soldiers, continued until the train
reached San Francisco. Boots" was
too plucky to give in, and when tired
OF crouching under seats he went out
and, scrambling to the top of the
train, found room to stretch himself
Boots" was uniformed at San Fran
cisco at the expense of the soldiers,
and he sailed with them on the steam
er Zerlande for Manila During the
voyage he fell down a hatchWay and
broke his arm, but, remembering ne
was a soldier he bore the pain uncom-
plainingly. On Aug / at Manila the
regiment was attacked by the Span
iards Boots passed the danger line
time after time, carrying ammunition
to the fighters and water to quench the
thirst of the wounded and dying. Once
while handing ammunition to a SOL
dIcr bullet crashed through the
crown of his hat He took his part in
another battle a little later and be-
came a ministering angel to the
wounded. Late in the fall, when fever
broke out among the troops, and his
"pal," Jim Duran, died, the officers OF
the regiment deemed it best to send
their mascot home. He reached Pitts
burg Dec. 4, 1898, and rousing well
come awaited him.