Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1908-11-06
|amkn,xux:ea>
| UN //IM #TA
!:
The Union Saved by schooIboy

The wonderful heroism displayed by
the armies Of the Civil War was not
the only remarkable fact connected
with the great struggle. The youth of
the soldiers was equally so. A Phil
adelphia regiment, marching down
Broad street on the way to the station
and to the front was ridiculed by
Southern sympathizer who, viewing the
passing columns from the sidewalk, re-
marked that the Southern men would
soon make short work of that crowd.
why said he, they are only school
boys" True, the regiment was COM
posed In a great measure Of schOolboys,
but, during the following four years.
it made a record for splendid fighting
never equaled by the finest regiment
that ever marched in any Of the armies
Of Europe.
We might truthfully say that our
army was composed of schoolboys
Hundreds Of thousands of them threw
down their books and filled the ranks,
and tens of thousands were laid In
soldiers graves and never returned to
school again, while other thousands
served during the entire war, returning
home veterans of many battles, to
once more take up their books and, go
ing back to school, finish their educa-
ton.
Think of it! Nearly a million Of
those who carried muskets were under
liz of no fharo
were S44.891 of them, and, under IS
years of age, there were 1,151, 43S. OF
the total enlistments of 2, IT'S, 300, $780,
79S were under q years Of age, and
companies, regiments and brigades were
commanded literally by schoolboys. An
eminent writer Of Englis history states
as a remarkable fact that one Of the
divisions Of the army Of Charles I was
commanded by general only 80 years
Of age. At the close Of our war in
1865 it was rare to find brigade or
division commander who had attained
that age. In the Second Corps, Miles
commanded the First Division, while
John r. Brookes, James A. Beaver,
George n Macy and the writer COM
manded the brigades comprising that
command, and each had hardly reached
the mature age of 25 years. I person
ally recall some Of the schoolboys, and,
when l remember young faces beaming
with intelligence, enthusiasm and heroic
loyalty, l feel like recording their vir-
tues, and it may be that the boys of
our own time, If ever called upon, will
profit by their example and display the
like noble qualities.
The youngest brigade commander
that l remember is now an eminent
citizen Of our State and vice president
Of the Lake Erie and Pittsburg Rail
road, Colonel James NJ. Shoemaker.
He was born June 80, 1912, and was
assigned to the command Of the Sec
ond Brigade Cavalry Division, Army Of
West Virginia, January /, 1864, when
q years and six months old. The
brigade consisted Of the First Virginia
Cavalry, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cav
airy, Twenty second Pennsylvania Cav
airy and Gibson's Battery, and the or
der issued by the young commander has
the ring Of true soldier.
Although only q years and six
months old at the time he issued this
order, yet he~was a veteran and a sea-
soned soldier; at the front from the
very first hour of trouble, a private
soldier in the First Maryland Cavalry,
then promoted through every non-com-
missioned grade, to Second Lieutenant
July 16, 1862, and finally mustered in
as colonel Of the Fourteenth Pennsyl-
vania Cavalry November "a, 1862, aged
20 years and four months. have been
told that when he reported to Harris
burg to take command of the Four
teenth Cavalry, Governor Curtin gaZed
at the young fellow; with curiosity and
establishment and. for a moment,
seemed to doubt the wisdom of grant
ing SO important a commission to one
so young. Even then he did not look
his age But the commission was is
sued and the governor soon learned
that he had made no mistake, the regi-
ment being one Of the best and most
ably commanded of any that left our
State.
After commanding for six months
the brigade in the army Of West Vir-
ginia. he was, on August 3, 1864, as
signed to the command Of the First
Brigade in Averill's cavalry division,
Army Of the Shenandoah, and led that
brigade in all the battles and engage
ments between Sheridan and Early in
the whirlwind campaign that marked
months of the last year Of the war.
During the many fights Of this period
his brigade was almost continually
under fire, and, in one Of those months,
from the day of the battle of Opequan
Greek, September 10, until Cedar Greek,
October 10, the brigade was under fire
every one of the thirty-one days. Not
only was the boy brigade commander
continuously praised by his superiors
because Of his efficiency as an officer,
but his personal bravery and heroiSm