Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1909-07-22
BOYS THEN; VETERANS NOW
The War Of The Sixties Was Fought By
Youth Of The Land.
Dayton News.

]
1t Is constant source of wonder to a
great many people that there should. at
this late day, be so mnny survivors Of
the civil war, realizing as they do that
1t has been forty-four years since the
struggle terminated. But there is moth
ing strange about it when it is recalled
that it was boys war.
There were little more than 4. 900. -
600 enlistments. Two million of them
were known to be re-enlistments. OF
the total number of enlistments only
6lS. sic were of men twenty-five years
and over. Two million and more of
them were under twenty-one years of
age. To be exact, let US quote the age
OF the men at enlistment from what
seems reliable source:
At sge of ten and under. 25
AT age of twelve and under. 225
At age of fourteen and under I,523
AT age of sixteen and under. S44. sol
AT age of eighteen and under. LIS, 43S
At age twenty-One and under. 2,159, 1913
Twenty-Five years and over. 62S. SIG
These figures ought to be studied
They mean a great deal. They will &C
count for most of the soldiers homes
and ought to make people more charit-
able toward the members of those
homes.
Here were millions of boys going into
the army at time when they ought to
have been getting an education. Indeed.
hundreds of thousands of them laid
down their books and left their desks at
school at critical period of their lives
mere children. who were Just pre-.
pairing themselves for the struggle with
the world.
Thousands of them had not obtained
their full growth physically. Very few
OF them were matured mentally. All of
them were at an impressionable age
morally. Is it any wonder that out of
the millions of such boys there should
have been thousands who were unable.
when the war was over, to find their
proper place in the world. and who be-
came derelicts!
| Indeed, the wonder was. and is. that
4
so many boys should have gone into an
army when these boys did, and should
have seen such rough usage, and then
be able to lay down their arms and COM
pete with those who remained nj home
and who had secured all of the advant-
ages which the years at home had given
them.
1t is safe to say that if it had not been
for the war more than a million. in
stead of half million, of those bows
would be alive today. Their average
age at this time is something less than
sixty-eight-certainly not an extreme
old age-when it is remembered that
every one of them was healthy younr
fellow when he enlisted.
The physical condition of these bows
at enlistment must not be overlooked
when figuring upon the number of sur
vivors. They were thoroughly examined
when they enlisted and had to be in the
best of health. No cripples, no diseased
ones, were accepted. They had to be
sound IN limb and lungs and heart, with
good eyes and good teeth. 1t was not
like taking the same number of men as
you might come to them. They were
the very pick of the country in health.
But for the hardships which they en-
dured, they ought to have shown won
derful longevity. There are many in
teresting things to consider when one
sees little bronze button on the lapel
of a mans coat.