The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-12-31
AN INCIDENT OF THE WAR
TRAGIC OCCURRENCE RELATED BY
A. j. GRAYsON, OF MADISON.
killing OF nm Innocent Twelve-year-
Old Boy by Sharpshooters of
the Union Army.

'T witnessed one of the saddest sights
OF the civil war near Tullahoma, Tenn"
said Andrew J. Grayson, OF Madison, re-
Gently. after the battle Of Stone River
the Confederates had fallen back to Tulla-
homa. and General Rosecrans, who was
at that time in command OF the Union army
operating In Tennessee. proceeded to forti-
~ around Murfreesboro. while the Con-
federates were engaged in strengthening
the defenses OF Tullahoma. Our army,
which had done but little lighting since the
battle OF Stone river moved upon Tulla-
homa in July, 1863, expecting to find the
Johnnies prepared to receive them with
open arms and bloody hands. A detach-
ment of the Thirty-ninth Indiana, or
Eighth. Cavalry, under command of Major
Thomas Graham, was in advance, and by
direction OF General Lyle, division COM
znander. moved cautiously through the
town Finding that the Confederates had
evacuated the place. leaving nothing but
their rear guard to cover their retreat,
Major Graham pushed on to the bluff over
looking the river and surrounding coun-
try. General Lyle, with his field glass.
could see the rear guard of the enemy
moving in the distance and waited for our
sharpshcoters to come up before venturing
10 cross the river
The enemy could now be seen by the
whole command about one thousand yards
away. A squad of their cavalry came out
from cover Of the woods across the road,
letting down the fence near farmhouse,
and rode through into a field, disappear
Ing sin the distance. Soon a man was
seen to cross the road to the gap in the
fence. He was in plain view of our men,
though too far away TO be reached by any
common gun and so he was not fired upon.
1T was not long, however before the
sharpshooters came up to the bluff over
looking the river They were armed with
lcng-range globe-sighted rifles The rebel
could still be seen with perfect distinct
ness. He was near the house and seemed
the crack marksmen leveled his gun and
fired The man in the distance was seen
70 stagger and fan, and a moment later a
woman and several small children came
running out of the house and threw them
selves upon the PROSTATE form of the
rebel The enemy had now disappeared
and Major Grahams command, accom-
panied by General Lyle, crossed the river
and moved on down the road feeling their
way cautiously. When they reached the
spot where the soldier had been killed by
the sharpshooter, they saw, 20 their horror,
not a rebel soldier. as they had expected
but an innocent twelve-year-oId boy and
: his broken-hearted mother and sisters
weeping over his dead body. praying that
God might bring back their loved ones
spirit again. The little fellow had been
engaged in putting up the fence near his
hcme after it had been thrown down by
the rebel cavSlrymen in their retreat, and
was unfortunately mistaken by our sharp
shooters for a rebel soldier. 1t was as
pitiful a spectacle as i ever gazed upon
and the man who had put out that young
life would gladly have given up his own
II he could only by so doing have brought
back the youth TO comfort the distracted
mother who had already been bereft OF her
husband and elder son by the cruel war
General Lyle and his whole command were
deeply grieved over the sad event and
the old commander, with tears coursine
down his cheeks. handed the poor woman
his purse and extended to her his heart
xelt sympathy.
20 the burial. the command passed on II
tpursuit OF the fleeing rebels Several days
afterward when the men OF the Thirty
ninth Regiment returned 70 Tullahoma and
marched by the house where the terrible
AFFAIR occurred, they saw a little mound
lr the front yard near the road the sigh
CT which caused a feeling OF deep sorrow
20 creep over the most hardened veterans
IN the lot. and they could not keep bach
the tears which chased each other dowr
their broEzed faces. And, although near
s ~ forty summers have come and gone
since that boy was killed in such tragic
manner. the little mound near the door OF
spent many happy days, is stiil vivid spo
& "a the memories OF the surviving veteran:
Vho Witnessed that pathetic Incident