Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1904-08-19
ADOPTED BY BOYS IN BLUE
How Little Colored Boy Attached
Himself Permanently to
Union Army.

When we of the cavalry were falling
back before Lee as he was headed for
Chantilly and Bull Run, a squadron of
us that had been detailed to bring a
wounded officer away from house
that would soon be in the possession
of the advancing confederates found
ourselves shut up in front and rear.
We numbered about 80 men, and had
two-horse ambulance in which tho
wounded man had been made as
comfortable as possible We had, in
deed, advanced about quarter of q
mile before we discovered the box we
were in. The confederates who had
come in behind us were cavalry, and
owing to turn in the road and bit
of woods, had not yet seen us. The
lieutenant in command consulted
with the major whom we were bring
ing away, and explained the situation.
Prepare me as well as you can for
the ride, give me revolver and then
form your men by fours and ride right
down on the confederates and cut your
way through" was the order of the
major.
l was in the advance set of fours,
and the man on my right was next 10
the highway ditch. All of sudden,
just as we were waiting the order to
advance, little negro boy, not over
three years old and as black as tha
blacklist tar ever made, appeared in
the ditch alongside of Parker. He
seemed to have been hiding in tho
nd 7 b;,,1- l..
out OF car or got parted from the
family as they were hurrying into the
union lines before Lees advance At
any rate, he was there and alone, and
as we saw him, Parker said:
Good lands! but here's a nigger
baby right under foot and all alone!
What shall we do with him?"
At that moment we got the word to
go ahead, and Parker leaned over,
picked up the child and placed him in
front of the saddle. Two or three of
us called to him to drop the boy, but
he didn't do it. AS we moved forward
"Pick" was there and hanging on for
dear life, his eyes as white as raw
onions and every tooth plain to be
counted. We were right on the con-
federates before they saw us, and it
was biff! bang! slashi and we opened
lane and went through every horse
on the keen run and the wounded
major firing away whenever he found
target for his bullets. When we final
ly got through "Pick" was with IFS
and all right, and he had seen his
first battle of the war. One would
have said that he liked it, for his grin
was broader than before and he did
not seem a bit scared.
During the bloody days that fol-
lowed the little fellow was with a
company wagon, and 1 did not see him
for a week. Then Parker took him
| down to Alexandria and left him with
a colored woman, but few months
| later, being made company commits
sary and having the use of a wagon,
he brought Pick back to the army,
| got a tailor to make him a suit Of
clothes, and then the boy was fix
ture with us. He took to army life,
and every one of the company took to
him, and had anyone misused Pick it
would have gone hard with him. He
was with us to the very last, and
saw him munching hardtack and
looking on while Lees ragged old vet
erans laid down their arms at Apo
mattoX He clung to Parker above
all others, and although the trooper
was rough fellow and unmarried,
| the offer of S100 for his little niger,
which was made over and over, was
no temptation.
When the war closed Pick was
taken north to Ohio, sent to school