The Grit-advocate., 1906-02-16
Death of Boy Veteran"

Edwin +. Cushing, the young st
the civil war, died suddenly Jan lG
at his home, Someryilie. Mass. OF
heart failure.
He was only 13 years old when he
was mustered into the service, and
was little more than II when he
was mustered. out after serving Gaite
four years in the war. He had been
a resident OF Someryiile for about
twenty years and served in the com
mon council in 1898 and 1899. He
leaves a wife.
Mr.. Cushing was a popular mem:'er
of the G. A. r., having held varicus
offices in Willard c. kinsley post i39,
G. A. R.. of Somervillc. He vas
looked upon as the baby" Of the ,et-
erans.
Regarding his war experiences Mr..
Cushing once told the following stcry:
Il was mustered into the service
at camp Chase, Lowell. on Sel;. 3,
1861, and. as | was born at Do.er.
n. H.. on May 80, 1S4S. my age at
the time OF muster was Is years 3
months and 5 days. My final dis
charge was given me at Gallops isl.
and in Boston harbor, on Aug. &c,
1865, thus making the official dura-
tion of my connection with the :egi-
ment just one week less than four
years.
"Of course" said Mr.. Gushing,
there were great many more Loys
in the army. But the larger part of
these under-ase youngsters got in
during the last years of the war, and
as ! began with carrying a musl ct
and kept right on in that sort of duty
during the major part of the time l
was in the army, the claim has been
made in my behalf that ! am tie
youngest soldier, with four years Of
active service to my credit, who en-
listed from Massachusetts.
Whether or not that is so, and
the record may be duplicated several
times in this as in other states, am
satisfied said Mr.. Gushing, that |
became soldier full early enough,
and but for some hardening l had
just received on New Hampshi. .'e
farm, my experience in performing
the duties of Il fuil-nedged enlisted
man might have been much more diff
ficult than it proved TO be.
when New Orleans was taken our
regiment was ordered to the city FOR
provost duty, and was specially u.s.
signed as an orderly at Provost Mar
shal Bowen's headquarters. This
duty also brought me to Gen. Buffers
headquarters, and when l told the
general | had lived in Dracut before
, enisting he at once took an interest
in me, recalled an acquaintance with
my grandparents, and he also kew
my father, who was an actor in the
regular company at the old Lowell
| museum, the institution which Moses
Kimball bought and moved to Bo-ton
as the nucleus of the old Boston mu
scum.
"As remember Gen Butler before
the war in Lowell, he was in the habit
| of wearing the od-fashioned Elue
swallowtail coat with brass buttonr
| Col. Jones resigned from the reg!
ment before we left New Orleans, anG
our first fight was at La Fourche, six
| ty miles west of New Orleans, which
was but skirmish compared to what
we had to face in Virginia. In Janu
ary, 1864, the regiment. or SAG men
/ of the regiment. re-enlisted for the
war the largest number, as it was
stated at the time, that was secured
| from any regiment of our department
| After furlough home we were at
| tached to the new 10Th corps, and by
July, 1864, we were in the SheHan
doah valley under the command o
| glorious Phil Sheridan, getting all the
real fighting we wanted, and r..:tici
pating in the Rerryvi.le and tl.y, Ce
dar creek battles. At Berryvil:s tho
regiment had eleven officers wolnd
ed and thrty-eight men killed, ant
we met with Il like loss at the more
decisive contest of Cedar creek whey
Early was sent 'whirling through
! Winchester.