Highland recorder. (Monterey, Highland County, Va.) 1877-1972, 1906-01-19
Sketch of A. A. Arnold.

crulting Office in Staunton ana ap
nroaching the officer in charge, ASK
ed to have his name enrolled fol
service in the army.
Although highly pleased with
this display of patriotism on the
part of the boy, the officer thought
him too young. too small and toe
tender for military service, and in
the kindest of terms, told him thai
he could find no place spited to one
of his size and age, and advised
him to return home, attend school
and in a year or two be could come
again. 49,
But the boy, whose early Life
had been one long dream OF thu
glories of military life, whose one
wish had been to become soldier
was deeply disappointed by the Off
GERS verdict, could not give up with
out further trial, so lie left the
recruiting office, thinking what
next to be done.
Before going a dozen steps, he
met Col M G Harman, to whor1 he
was well known, and to him he re.
lated the facts in his case and ask.
ed his assistance in his efforts to
find way to save his country.
B-fore he had fairly finished his
story. Col Hartman said: "You ERE
the very boy want Come with
me. only wish [ could find
twenty more like YOU"
In company with Col Hartman
the boy again entered the recruit
ing office, and the colonel, address
ing the officer, told him that the
{ government needed bows rs oraprlies
and couriers, men being too heavy
and would oe glad to take all
that offered. Enroll this boy"
said he, and assign him to my of
flee for seryIc
Ten minutes more and the hap
piest boy in Virginia went skip.
ping toward the office of Col Har-
man. and in and in IN hour longer
he galloped out of Staunton. bound
for Monterey with dispatch for
the officer in command at Greenbri-
er river.
Tins the youngest regularly en-:
listed man in the confederate army
begun his serVices-a service that
continued-as courier, private cay
alryman, orderly to Maj Jackson,
Col Cochran and General McCaus--
land and member of secret service
-four years, ending a few days at.
ter the surrender at Appomattox.
This youth was Abmer Akres
Arnold, son of Rev David W Ar
mold, then minister Of the Balti-
more conference Al E church, sta
toned at Churchville, Va, and NJ
Jane Shacklett, his wife, of Eau.
qu er Go, Virginia.
In all The early wars in which
our fore fathers engaged, the an
cest0rs of A A Arnold bore con-
spicuous part, and in the serVlc Q
with him, scattered through the
different branches of the army,
were scores of his blood relatives.
In the 9Th Infantry Stonewall
Brigade, it's Youngest member. Jul
jan Arnold, Of Alexandria. was his
cousin, and no Drawer soldies was
there in the service.
Col J n Slower Funk, 9TH va
Infantry and his brother, Lieuten-
ant William Funk, OF the same reg
iment, were his first cousins. and
there were so many others in the
army. that mere list Of them
would fill the space allotted to this
sketch.
For three months after enlist
ment, Abner Arnold made the
round trip between Staunton and
Monterey daily. At Buffalo GAP
Nicholas Ryan's in the pastures,
Shaw's Fork and Mcdowell. there
were RELAYS of fresh horses, md as
there wassalways haste behind eve,
ry army dispatch, the boy let nc
grass grow near his pathway. he
was ALWAYS ahead OF time.
MANY night when the darkness
was so dense as to be felt and rain
poured in torrents, he mounted his
horse in Monterey, after having
made the trip oyer few hours ear
lipr, and sped away across the
dr.ar, dark mountains to Staun'
d = u.s NOT before the mid