The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-02-25
GEN. PHIL KEARNY'S BUGLER.
ROMANTIC STORY or GUS. sCHUR-
MANS EVOLUTION.


Adopted Child OF President Lin
coIn-He Was the Youngest Enlist
ed soldier of the Union Army and
Has Many. Interesting stories to
FeIIs OF His Life as gen. I<enrny's
Orderly and an Enchanted Expe-
rienee as Tod Lincoln's Playmate
In the White House.
The pride of the First Division, Third
Army Corps, was a drummer boy, named
Gus Schurman. He is believed to be the
youngest enlisted soldier Of the Union
Army alive to-day. Wherever veterans Of
the famous Red Diamond Patch foregath-
er this boy--now a thoughtful gray hair
ed man of 50--is met with wondrous
cheering and accorded the seat of honor
The story of Gus Schurman's evolution
from a New York bootblacll to adopted
child Of the Lincoln family in the White
House is a bewitching gem of war MARIA
tive. the more interesting because Of its
historic accuracy. IT is vouched for by
documents in Mr.. Sehurman's possession,
by the testimony of the surviving mem
bers Of the Fortieth New York Regiment
and by that of well known veterans, such
as Gen. Daniel e. Sickles, who visited the
White House at the period in question
and were instrumental in having the
drummer boy sent there. Mr.. schurman
is now employed at the Customs House
in New York and is prominent In Grand
Army affairs.
In the early part of 81 Gus Schurman
was drumming recruits IN Chatham
Square to which honor he had arrived
after vigorous training for two years at
the Turn Verein Hall in Orchard street.
Ills family being poor Gus had left school
and began to earn his living by working
in a saw mill on Center street the boss
there being Mr.. Block, now proprietor Of
the Congressional Hotel at Washington.
When work was slack Gus took his sta
tion a City Hall Park with box and
brush and competed with the bootblack
brigade at three cents a shine. In the
Turn Verein Hall he learned to drum so
well that when war broke ont he was
taken into the Forty-second New York
CTammany Regiment) Being i'll treated
there he applied 10 the Forteth Of which
his father was member ana over which
Mr.. Glider, father of Richard Watson Gil
der, was chaplain.
Couldn't think OF it," said Col. Riley,
you're too NoungH' Schurman was omy
II then. When the Colonel said no he
relates, Il began TO cry ana turned away
from the tent; but my father went ana
spoke 10 Col Riley when he called me
back sand made mo lake drum All the
men began to laugh because the drum was
nearly as big as myself, but nevertheless
the Colonel said / would do, and l guess
in all the world al that moment there was
10 one as happy as /.
The Fortieth, known as Mozart, left
Yonkers for Washington on July T. Though
they did nos get 10 Bull Run, they wit
messed the retreat, and through the battles
at Seven Pines, Malvern Hin and all the
skirmishes Of thai disastrous peninsular
campaign, the Fortieth braves bore an i'm
portant part until finally The Northerners'
retreat turned into mad flight.
Fighting Pills Roy Orderly.
schurman's chance to distinguish him
self came sooner than he expected, how
ever, and in a most unusual way. was
at Harrson's Landing and Cen MeCel-
Ian had set a day to review the army.
Gen. Phil Kearny, commanding tf First
Division, dallcd for a drummer boy 10 act
as his orderly for the occasion, and Corpl.
Brown, staff clerk, picked out Gus This
in itself was an honor, for Fighting Phil
ed on his powerful gray charger, Mos
cow" seated firm as a Centuar, holding
the reins on the stump of his right arm
"a memento of the Mexican war; this true
tyne OF chivalric hero carried everything
before him in a charge and Inspired his
troops with irresistible enthusiasm. He
was one of whom il was truly said: "He
would rather fight than eat" and the
Union army knew no such either one Of
reckless valor and indomitable aggression.
SO strong that at Florence, Italy, he dane
ed through a masque ball clad in eighty
pounds OF chain arnor He knew no pity
for himself physically and had little sym
pathy for signs Of weakness in others.
This was the man to whom the 12-year-
old drummer boy presented himself and
received In turn a kindly word silver bu-
gle and immense white horse called
Babe" over whose back the lad could
scarcely stretch his legs. His previous
riding practice had been derived from
taking the suffers horse to water.
Stories of Gen. kcarny.
In the course of the days maneuvers
the staff galoped over a rough field
broken by an ugly ravine Gen. Kearny,
being superb horseman, took this with
mighty bound and looked around 10 see
if his aids were following Dismayed at
the jump they had all skirted about the
eHAS, all DuL one MOuiihch OH the WillAt
horse Babe" a stable mate to Kearnys
own horse, the mite Of a drummer boy
might as well have tugged at q railroad
train. on and on the great charger came,
ears back, nostrils all wide and eyes like
Goals Of fire. to the edge of the precipice
and there rose on her powerful launches
aud shot into the air as though to leave
earth forever landing the new orderly
pale and almost senseless.
II slid clear up on Babes neck" relates
Mr.. Schurman, and holding on to one Of
the chargers ears with grip that / did
not loosen until Gen. Ke0rny looked at me
and smiled grimly. ! guess he knew that
would have given half my life to have
stopped that brute on the other side but
he said nothing. only when the others
rode Up the hairs of his moustache stiffen-
ed like the bristes n a cats tail, which
was peculiar to him when angered or dis
gusted.
I'm the evening ! reported myself to him
so as 10 return 20 my regiment, but he
said brusquely: Go and bring your bag
gage to my headquarters aud consider
yourself my orderly in the future. The
jump on Babe seemed 10 have
made the popular with him,
and froua thaf day m fba %