The Neihart herald. [volume] (Neihart, Mont.) 1890-1901, 1899-11-25

"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 a little over IL years old, and
small for his age, when he started on
his long voyage across the Pacific.
When a mere tot he was a familiar fig
ure on the streets of Pittsburg as a
sinner" who never sighted a job, and
later he added the business of a
"newsy" to his means of earning a
livelihood. Boots" Jays 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 a state encampment was about
to pull out from the station, a private,
spying Boots" IN the platform, bun
died him into a car and managed to
keep him in hiding until the regiment
reached its 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
go along. The train bearing the SOL
diers to the Pacific coast stopped a
few minutes at the Pittsburg station
to allow the soldiers a 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
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
reason, the conductor then objected to
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 bafied, the conductor began
a series of prosecutions against the lit
tie fellow, which, despite the threats OF
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 he
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
der a 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 1t best to send
their mascot home. He reached Pitts
burg Dec. 4, 1898, and a rousing well
come awaited him.
Major Hayes Inherited Luck in War.
An interesting wal story was told
recently by a man who took part in a
meeting on board the steamer Sylvia
coming from Porto Rico to New York.
The chief speaker of the party was Ma
ior Webb c. Hayes, son of the late
president, who has been recently made
lieutenant colonel of the T~hirty-tirst
infantry. Beside him sat Capt. Paget,
the British military attache, and a
third was a western newspaper man.
They had been speaking of luck in
war, and the major remarked: Il don't
know whether I'm lucky or unlucky,
I've been in a number of battles and in
every one I've been wounded or had my
horse wounded. None of my wounds,
however, has been grave enough to
disable me permanently" Capt. Paget
who has witnessed or taken part in
twenty wars, said: Il suppose that
I'm rather lucky, because I've had very
much the same experience and am alive
eoday. while most of my old colleagues
have passed away" The western edi-
tor spoke up: I'm the majors case
think it's heredity. l knew his father
the president, during this civil war
where he was n of the bravest gen
erals. He was certainly unlucky il
many things, but very lucky in no
being killed. He frequently led for
lorn hopes or maintained desperate de
lenses in which the loss of life was ap