The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1901-08-01

| +" maugua." In 1S6l,
| when he was 10 years old. he stroVe
| for admission TO the Third Ohio Regi-
ment He was rejected because of his
youth. While the regiment was on its
way To the front Johnny installed him
| self on the train, and when it arrived
| in Cincinnati offered his services TO
| the Twcnty-third Michigan. He was
straightway enrolled rs druWmer
boy.
| Many were the experiences through
| which little Johnny Glen, now Major
Glenn, of Atlanta. Ga. passed during
his experience as = drummer boy. His
drum was smashed by a shell at Pitts
| burg Landing but it was at Chicka-
mauga that he performed the deed OF
valor which made him famous.
| The Union troops had fallen back to
| Chickamauga. leaving Il brigade behind
TO guard the position. JOhnnys regi-
ment was among the troops which COM
| posed the brigade. They were sur
rounded by the Confederates, and Il
colonel in gray uniform and on horse
| back dashed forward and commanded
the little fellow to surrender. For an
| swer Johnny seized the musket from a
| from his horse.
For this act of gallantry Gen. Rose
| Grams made him sergeant. Grant
| honored him in 1871 by making him a
| 10 Il tod
from the artillery school ut Fortress
Monroe. in 1874. and subsequently. by
the appointment of the Secretary of
| War. became military instructor at the
Galesburg University. In 1895 he was
made major and quartermaster.
But it must be remembered that
| Johnny was not a soldier, but drum
mer boy. Gilbert Van Zandt, known as
| Little Glib, in army circles. was another
drummer boy, and at the age of 10 en-
| listed in the Seventy-ninth Ohio Volun
teer Infantry. He was in all the en-
gagements during Sherman's famous
| march 10 the sea. At Nashville his
colonel had Il small sword made espe-
| cially for him.
Ask any man in Mason City, Iowa,
who was the youngest soldier of the
Civil War on the Union side, and he will
tell you that it was J. E. Francisco of
that city. The Wisconsin Legislature
settled it few years ago by granting
him n medal comforting that title upon
the recipient.
There seems to be little doubt that he
really merits that distinction, for he
was not Il drummer boy. but carried
musket from his first enlistment to his
mastering out. He was born in 1S49,
| and when he enlisted in 1864 he had
three brothers at the front. He was
tall and stalwart for his years; life on
the farm had hardened his muscles,
and ut 13 he was as strong as most
men twice his age. He was anxious
to enlist. and he ran away to Madison,
only TO be brought back by the con-
stable. His next attempt was more
fortunate.
But there have been few contestants
for the honor of having been the young
That distinction is almost universally
conceded to rest with C. Z. Robertson,
now Of Bridgeport. Ala. Isaac I. Mil
ler. now living in Milledgeville, Ga, is
sometimes spoken Of as the youngest
Confederate soldier, but he was really
n year older than Robertson at the time
Of enlistment. But the second place
may safely be accorded to Isaac Mil
Ter. both on account of his youth. and
his great war record, which. if not
equal in point of eventful interest to
that of Robertson. is nevertheless re-
markable.
Young Miller was 4 member of the
First Tennessee, was in p battles and
was captured at Gettysburg in Pick
ett's famous charge DIR. Y. S. Aber-
meth of Hill City. Tenn. enlisted in the
same regiment when he was year
younger than Isaac Miller. being. ut
the time. only 10. He was not in active
service at any time. but served OH duty
in hospital.
Christenburg 2. Robertson was the
same age as Abernethy and one year
younger than Miller, when. on the call
of Georgia for volunteers. he shoulder
ed his gun and marched away Not only
was Robertson the youngest Confed-
crate soldier. but he is probably the
youngest man now living on either side
who saw four years of continuous fight
ing in that war as real soldier.
He served four years, never once
going home. He was in 30 battles and
more than hundred skirmishes. He
was at Chickamauga. Fredericksburg
and the Wilderness. He was several
times wounded. once terribly. having
his ribs on both sides crushed in
The last two years of the war the boy
served on staff and secret scout duty
He probably holds the record for cap
oner and each time succeeding in MAX
ing his escape.
One such escape gave rise TO most
interesting incident. On Aug. 15, 1864,
he was taken prisoner at Front Royal,
Va, and made his escape on Aug. IL by
al
Winchester and Charlestown, Va.
The Yankee cavalry were marching
about 80 prisoners ahead of them. the
guards were sleepy and the night dark.
Young Robertson slipped into the cul-
vert unnoticed by his sleepy captOrs,
and lay there till they had passed by.
A letter to his mother, written on the
day of his escape, says: 1t is with
almost broken heart that write you
this note that will tell you am 4 pris-
oner of war. 1 was taken at Front
Royal last evening" But the letter
concludes with this hopeful prediction:
"Our boys are coming sure. and will
escape before three days. They will
never keep me in a Yankee prison
never, never, never"
After the war the battle Scared lit
tie veteran came home and moved his
family away. For time his mind was
saddened by the surrender of the lost
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