Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1910-04-29

Youngest Soldier OF the CiviI War.
There was more than one Little
Mac in the federal army during the
war of the rebellion, but the hero of
this tale was not only the smartest
Mac, but the youngest and most d.
minutive enlisted member of the army
OF the United States, and now for more
than twenty-five years by far the
youngest comrade in the Grand Army
of the Republic and frequent and a
welcome guest at many a reunion Of
the G. A. r. posts other than his own.
Never has this youthful veterans
recital Of the surprising incidents sur
rounding his remarkable enlistment,
the exhibition OF the yellowed docu-
ments. filled in with ink now faded,
although clearly decipherable-his en-
hstment and discharge papers-falled
to arouse enthusiasm among his older
comrades
In the little Mississippi river town
of Fort Madison, la. the site of for
mer government frontier fort and the
scene of many a skirmish and more
than one full-fiedged battle between
the redskins on one hand and the sol
diers and pioneers on the other, there
| lived in the late sos a young and
| patriotic physician, Abel Commins
/ Roberts, a graduate of the University
of Michigan, with his wife and two lit.
tie sons
In addition 10 being a physician DR.
| Roberts was the editor and publisher
| of weekly newspaper, the Fort Madi-
son Plaindealer He was a strong ad-
vocate of a policy of colonizing the
/ negroes and of having the government
reimburse the masters of the colonized
slaves, He advocated this as the only
plan that would make possible the
| avoidance of war.
However, partisan feeling was
strong in those days so strong, in
fact that party of Fort Madison men
| provided themselves with a long, stout
rope and called on the editor one night
at his home and offered him the I'M
enviable choice of abandoning his
policy of advocating negro colonization
and of publicly apologizing for some
of the pointed things he had said in
print or taking plunge in the Father
of Waters tied to his old Washington
hand press with the rope,
But DR. Roberts had heard that he
would be called upon and he had blood
in his veins. so after listening quietly
to the leaders Of the mob he calmly
laid his Colts navy on the porch rail
and talked bluntly and forcibly about
the constitutional guarantees o. free
speech and of free press and Of his
steadfast determination to avail him
elf OF his constitutional rights, mob
or~no mob He concluded by inviting
them to come on" if they were still
dissatisfied They refused to accept
and the editor did not change his pol
icy
Later when war began and volun
teers were called. he forsook both the
pen and his advocacy of colonization
and became a member of the Twenty
first Missouri Infantry Volunteers, as
surgeon major, and as Major Abel c.
Roberts served through the entire
period Of the war with but one fur-
lough
In 1863 the Twenty first was guar.
tered at Memphis, Tenn Opposite the
camp grounds was the home of a then
wealthy southern planter, DR. Whea-
ton The surgeon of Tne Twenty-first
found occupation plenty and seldom
left his quarters.
One day, however while all was
quiet in camp, a willowy, sweet-faced
southern girl came rushing from the
old mansion Of the Wheatons and into
the camp Of the enemy" Mary Whea-
ton was in deep trouble She had been
left alone that day and something had
gone wrong. Two Of her fathers pet
pickaninnies had INDUCED in poison
berries and we're in the grip Of death.
The girl hastily told her troubles and
asked:
Is there not some one here who
win help me, please? For they sure
nough dying"
Moved by the girls distress, Major
Roberts volunteered. An emetic was
given, biz of pummelng done, and,
after a brief while the tangles were
Strengthened and the children sprawl
ed themselves out in the sun. sadder
but wiser Africans.
Major Roberts and DR.. Wheaton
grew to be great friends. One day
the regimental surgeon betrayed an
anxiety concerning his wife, then III
in the north, to his southern friend.
and what did the old planter do but
! command Major Roberts to send for
/ his little family at once There was
no disregarding such a prefer Of hos.
/ pitaiity The open door Of south
! erner means Come in" and happy is
/ he who does as hidden.
A few days later saw the little fam
! lily reunited-the husband in his tent
( and the little wife and two boys only
a stones throw away, safely lodged in
/ the old planters home.
In the early morning Of Dec q,
1863 there arrived in Camu lust be