The National tribune., 1899-12-07
A BOY SENTINEL.
How He Stood Face to the Music on q Dark
Night in VirSinia

EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: The
period from 1861 TO 1865 was history
making epoch. The number of war stories
That may be related of that time seems abso-
but it may be worth relating:
A boy sentinel stood by the side of a we'll
| Travelled road. The night was dark, with
no moon, few stars and many clouds. All
day the regiment had marched beneath a
| hot Virginia SUM- and now all were asleep
| except the guards.
HIS instructions We're rather vague.
| Now, see here, the Corporal had said, 1--WE
don't know anything about which way the
front is. For all We know the army may
come marching III upon us along this road
II you hear anybody coming, challenge. and
II III happens TO be some of the enemy why,
shoot at them, call the Corporal of the
Guard, and alarm the camp And mind
you, don't waste any time finding on;
Mhetncf they are Union or rele! soldiers.
| II Union, why, OF course, let them paSs on.
We are all mighty tired. know. biIt if vou
want 10 keep alive don't fall aslren.
The boy sentinel had passed his 18th
oirthday some SIX months before. and had
seen about eight months service. He at
least knew what war was and was fullv
conscious OF the peril 10 himself. if tia
the enemy.
In the uncertain light he could note that
the topography of the ground seemed
10 indicate IL level tract with mIny
bushes and small trees. Behind one cjumn
OF bushes he took mis- station and listened
IIntently, while straining his eyes 10 see into
the darkness beyond. For an hour or so
all was silent. VI
Suddenly from afar a soInI yr,s hoard
1t was repeated, and then the boy's hair he
gan to bristle until his cap nee;Ioi nd iIIsfino.
Scared! lie felt that deadly pcril con
1ronted hlm. Nearer and CLEVER were
iicard Iile sounds. Soon he decided that Il
troop OF cavalry, marching slowly. was
coming. III the enemy We're on tbc move
surely they would send cavalry in the ad-
vance, ana cavalry they surely were. for he
could now hear the cIank of scahhards and
the tramp OF many equine feet. ''''
WIN gun at n ready" he waited mill
they We're about rod away, and then Ioud
and clear through the night rang tba word
"Haltr VIC "oiu
!here must have been tremor in that
voice, Dut there was also i'm il a NOTE that
"ouiu Iikeiy secure Immediate compliance
WIN Ihe command, ring that in after
years was destined TO make the Owner Of tho
voice less liable to embarrassment whom II
was heard on the hustings. at G A r meet
lngs, and in the halls of state
Ihe marching column came to q full
stop so suddenly that the horses wore
lhroWn upon their ,haunches. Plainly the
BOY was not the only alarmed individual in
that part OF virginia. Then came the
words, who comes there?" IitfIc more
firmly this time. Sweet may be The "Ycso of
my lady lar in answer to the great question
her Wooer puts, but honeycd aiiii dulcat
tones without rival greeted the Eoy's ear,
though the words themselves were common-
place etloughIonly; 10th n. Y. Cav"
Pass on, please" replied the sentinel.
and his gun nearly dropped from his nerve,
less hands and his knees shook. The great
strain was over > ''''
Inc ION Cav; did not march on inmedi-
ately, but the leader Questioned thn bn,,
about the identity Of his command and The The
probable location of the enemy, and in re-
gard to the Latter he seemed as ignorant as
the boy himself. '''i' 90
The story indeed is ssmalI one. but il has
always been of interest to me, for the how
Sergeant sentinel by the roadside and the
Writer WI me nerGof are one and the same
WALTER III: PARCELS, Co. d, 5Oth n. Y.
Engs., Lewistown, Pa.