Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1906-10-05
SOLDIERS STORIES.
ENTERTAINING "REMINISCENCES
OF THE WAR.
Graphic Account of Stirring Scenes
Witnessed on the Battlefield and in
Camp-Veterans of the Rebellion Re-
cite Experiences of Thrilling Nature.

| am going to tell you the story eX-
actly as it happened. / have no desire
to make you think Ned Barton bril-
liant hero; | will simply recount the
Dart he bore in some stirring scenes and
let you make up your own mind about
him.
The War of the Rebellion broke out,
you know, in April, 1861. Ned was
then II years old. strong, athletic boy,
the best runner, jumper and ball player
In HoOdyille.
IOodvilel echoed with the drum and
fife as we'll as other places and the boys
were as full of the martial spirit. in
their way. as the men. Ned Barton was
particularly enthusiastic ana early in
the summer of that eventful year he or
saniZed Il company among the boys of
the town. pored over "Hardee's Tactics"
and "Ellsworth's Zouave Drill and
gave himself up, heart and soul, to
training his young recruits in the man
ual of arms.
He called his company the "Zouave
Cadets and suitably to the name, they
were uniformed in dark blue jackets,
loose red trousers and linen leggings.
Jaunty red caps, trimmed with yellow
braid, completed the dress, and since
,, these ambitious young "home- guards"
could not obtain arms from the State,
each one of them carried double-bar-
relied shotgun. The women of Hoodville,
proud Of the boy-soldiers, presented the
company with pretty flag and Capt"
Barton with a handsome sword, having
q pearl handle and silver-plated scab-
bard.
Now, all this was great fun to the
members Of the Zouave Cadets. and no
| less to the citizens of HoOdville; for
when the company paraded, night or
day, there was Il general turnout of the
people to look at them.
About this time | began to recruit Il
company of cavalry for the Federal
army under the authority of the Gov
ernor of the State. Ned Barton was
among the first who proffered their ser
vices. | knew the boy we'll, his strong,
positive character, his courage, his am
bition and his physical strength. He
was too young, so far as years might be
counted, to assume the duties of a SOL
der in the field, but this weighed as
nothing with me against the other con-
siderationS I have named.
He was one of the best drill-masters
/ ever saw. Before | was able to put a
squad through the simplest maneuvers,
he had mastered the whole company
drill, and / did not consider it deroga-
tory to my dignity as the captain to sit
on my horse in the field where we prac-
tinced our evolutions, and permit him
to take command.
In less than month we had the COM
pany formed, and on the day we were
sworn into the service, Ned Barton was
formally elected second lieutenant.
Wishing to have what it call crack
company when I led it to the scene of
action, | asked the Governors permits
sion to encamp near Hoodville for three
or four weeks to perfect the drill of the
men.
Saturdays the camp was crowded
with visitors, boys and girls particular
ly, and on the last one before we left
to join the Army of the Potomac, we
scarcely had room for the drill that
had arranged to give for our visitors
benefit Perhaps it was the crowd that
excited him, or he may have been taken
with an ugly SPELL as one of the men
said, but Ned's horSe-Rocket, he called
him-was so full of spirit that day that
his young rider had difficulty In control
ling him.
In going through the maneuvers of
our drill, it became necessary several
times for me to warn the young people
back out of our way; they wanted to
see everything, and would crowd up as
close as they could. regardless of gal
Looping horses and flying heels. In exc
cutting one of my commands, called out
as they were cantering over the field
the men made a bad break, and Ned
Barton, who was near me, noticing
their mistake suddenly gave Rocket
the spurs and swept after them at a
gallon. His course led him directly to-
ward a part of the field where fifty or
more boys and girls were standing all
intently watching the drill.
l did not appreciate the danger my
self, until l caught look from Ned's
face. then / started toward the crowd,
shouting to them to open passage for
the running horse. Some of them I'M
derstod me and broke to one side,
screaming with sudden fright. This Gre
ated a panic, in the midst of which half
dozen girls, IA or 10 years of age,
clutching at each other and struggling
to get out of the way, fell to the ground
In heap, directly in the horses path.
On either side of them, SO quickly had
1t all happened, and so rapid had been
the horses approach. were other young
people not yet out of the way, SO that
the PROSTATE but struggling forms Of
these half a dozen girls made the only
gap in the line.
Ned instantly made up his mind what
10 hoG 10 10 r. in.