Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1903-11-14
A BOY IN BATTLE.
oio soldier Relates His Impression,
"hen Youth of Thirteen
i'm the Union Army.

L was only 13 years and three
months old when | fought in the hattie
OIL Chickamauga, but [ have not for
gotten my experiences of that great
event IN the history of the country"
SAID John c. White, who served for
~ years as soldier ami only recently
left the Sixteenth United States infan-
try, to Chicago Inter-Ocean man
on the afternoon preceding the hat
tie, Mr.. White continued. "our regi-
ment, with the other regiments con,
posing the Regular Bridge, Rousseau.
d1Vlslon, Fourteenth corps, was about
Is miles from Chattanooga. In the
evening there was a light rainfall. II
was emily, but we could have no fires.
Soon after shutdown we began on,
march. 1t was deathiy quiet march.
only the sound of the tramping break.
ing the silence. At morning we reached
Crawfsh Springs. but did not stop lone
We stopped at the Widow Glenn's
mouse long enough to make coffee. and
then, tired, our feet blistered and hun.
CRY, we went on. Something-hunre,
or pain-told me to break ranFs and
seek tree, but duty and fear kept me
in line.
The regiment hadn't gone far when
l was ordered to report to Mai. Cool.
idge' l knew what was in store 70,
me. L went to him. He TOOK me TO the
side of the road. took from his pocke,
letter, and told me to give II to Lieut.
Hotsinkellar, the officer in charge OF
the wagon train.
"As he had repeatedly done this
since leaving Murfreesboro. thought
1t to be trick to get me out of dan.
ger, for I was but n mere lad. 7 start.
ed away with the letter. but I did not
go toward the wagon train. / turned
into the woods and afterward found
my way back 10 the rear of nv reri-
ment. We halted at Jaws Mil. but
were soon ordered into field densely
covered with fine underbrush. We had
not gone more than 500 feet when we
were greeted with q terrific vollev. ana
this was followed by hard firing into
both TANKS. We had been anrbushcd
and more than two-thirds of our regi-
ment were killed, wounded or captured.
Our commander, Major Coolidge. who
mao told me to go to the rear. was
killed at the first firing.
i was within the enemy's lines. but
did not know II. Crawling along with
the others, I managed to reach The
slowly retreating column. I felt home
sick. The bullets flew over and around
me, but at the sight of the division
drawn up l took courage. and YOU
as | was called by the soldiers. waA
himself again
Our division, and Brannan's too
sooh saw the fight was on. Forests
cavalry, With Wilson and Ector's bri.
sade. made desperate assault upod
the two divisions, but were repulsed.
Again and again the enemy strove to
dislcdge us, but in each instance failed.
All day Rousseau's and Brannan's d.
visions, the former commanded by
Gen. Baird, held their positions. Never
shall l forget that day of shot and
she'll
i had been schooled in the horrors OF !
war and in its terrible earnestness, and |
was not altogether boyish. for dis /
cipline natures one hurriedly, but the !
long continued fighting. running into
the night, with its scenes of death and
suffering, made me feel woefully DESC
late. A sickening sensation all but