The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1906-10-04

part ne pore III some surfing scenes anu
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 Hoodville.
H00dvilel echoed with the drum and
fife as well as other places and the boys
were as full of the martial spirit, in
their way, as the men. Ned Barton was
particularly enthusiastic and early in
the summer of that eventful year he or
ganized 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-soldlers, presented the
company with pretty flag and "Capt."
Barton with handsome sword, having
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 general turnout Of the
people to look at them.
About this time began to recruit a
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. l knew the boy well, 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 l 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 II 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 a 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 l led 1t 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
", and on the last one before we left
| to join the Army of the Potomac, we
| scarcely had room for the drill that 1
had arranged to give for our visitors
benefit. Perhaps 1t 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
bis 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 gall
Looping horses and flying heels. In exc
cutting one of my commands, called out
as they were cantering over the field,
the men made bad break, and Ned
Barton, who was near me, noticing
their mistake, suddenly gave Rocket
| the spurs and swept after them at a
gallop. 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.
/ did not appreciate the danger my
self, until l caught a look from Ned's
face, then l 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 panic, In the midst of which half
dozen girls, IA or 10 years of age,
clutchlng 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 dozen girls made the only
gap in the line.
Ned instantly made up his mind what
to do, and he had to make it up in
stantly, for Rocket was not twenty
feet from them when they fell. Rails
ing the horse by the bit with all his
strength, and driving the spurs into
his TANKS, he cleared the frightened
girls by a flying leap and went gallop-
Ing down the field.
You ought to have heard the ringing
cheer that hundreds of voices sent after
the gallant young rider!
We had been fighting all day. The
Confederate line of battle had been
with drawn from the leve, ground,
where our division had pressed the enc
my slowly but steadily back, and now
occupied the crest of low hill that lay
south Of us. Here they made a stub
born resistance, and twice had they re-
pulsed our charge upon their new posi-
ton.
The second charge had just been
made. and our brave men, after terrible
slaughter, had been ordered TO fall back
beyond musket-shot, where they now
rested on their arms until another at
tack should be ordered, or night should
give them rest.