The Bon Homme County independent. [volume] (Tabor, S.D.) 1904-1913, 1911-05-25
YOUTHFUL HEROES
OF THE CIVIL WAR
Boy Soldiers Who Fought in
Americas Great
Rebellion.
LITTLE Glib AND THE PONY
Drummer Lads Who Possessed tn,
Courage Of tho Older Veterans
Johnny CIom at Pittshurs
Landing.

Boy heroes were not rare during the
civil war, and in many cases the boy
contingent proved the flower Of a regi-
ment. Yet it is not generally known at
what very tender age boys were actual
ly allowed to join the army.
Johnny Glenn, the drummer boy OF
Chickamauga, was born in 1851. In
1861, when he was 10 years old, he Of
fered his services as drummer boy to
the Third Ohio regiment. He was re-
jected because of his youth. While the
regiment was on its way to the front
Johnny Glen installed himself on the
tram and on its arrival in Cincinnati
repeated his offer to the Twenty-Five
Michigan. His pertinacity was at last
rewarded. He. was enrolled as drum
mer boy and later as a marker"
At the battle of Pittsburg Landing
his drum was smashed by shell. but 1t
was at Chickamauga that he performed
the act Of valor which won him his So
briquet. At the close Of that memoir
able day the union army fell back to
Chattanooga, the brigade to which
Johnny belonged being left behind to
guard the position. 1t was soon sur
rounded by the troops in gray, and q
colonel on horseback dashed forward
and ordered the little fellow to surren-
der. Instead of obeying the boy raised
his musket and as the colonel bore
down upon him, sword in hand. fired,
and the officer fell dead from his horse.
| A fierce onslaught followed. Three
| balls pierced Johnny's cap on that day.
Losing, the historian, tells us. He lay
as If dead, and not until the confed-
crates had ceased firing and night had
| fallen did he venture forth, making his
way to the union headquarters at Chat
tanooga. He was then created SER
| geant by General Rosecrans.
| On his return to the union lines he
| went through other battles in which the
| Army Of the Cumberland was engaged.
When he was mustered out in 1866, he
went to Indianapolis to attend school.
| General Grant made him a second lieu
| tenant Of the Twenty-fourth infantry In
| 1871, and in 1874 he was graduated from
| the artillery school at Fort Monroe and
| subsequently acted by the appointment
| OF the secretary Of war as professor OF
| military science and tactics at the
| Galesburg university. He was created
| major and quartermaster in 1895 and
| stationed at Atlanta, where he became
exceedingly popular with his southern
neighbors and friends.
Some years ago the Wisconsin legis-
| lature awarded a medal to ]. E. Fran
cisco of Mason City as the youngest
real soldier Of the union army during
the late war. Such ii may be said his
friends in Grand Army circles believe
him to have been. Young Francisco
was not a drummer boy. but carried a
musket from his enlistment to his mus
tering out. He was born November %.
lS49. At the breaking out Of the war
| his three brothers enlisted and went to
the front. During the first three years
| of the war Francisco was too young to
be accepted as soldier, but in 1854 he
had attained stature and developed a
| physique which were the envy of boys
several years his senior. He yearned
to go to the war. Life on the farm had
become unbearable. So young Fran
cisco ran away to Madison, only to be
brought back by the constable. De-
feated in the second attempt, the third
was successful, though the surgeon ex-
pressed his doubts Of the boys ability
to successfully Withstand the hardships
Of soldiers life, whereupon John
promptly offered to satisfy them as to
his soldierly qualities by whipping the
surgeon or any officer present.
| On his enrolment the captain, think
Ing to relieve him Of many trials and
hardships, offered to attach John to
aimself as his servant, an offer which,
made in all kindness, was holly resent
| ed.
| It should be mentioned that at the
early age Of IA young Francisco cast his
first vote for Abraham Lincoln In ac-
cordance with that special act Of con-
gress by which the franchise was ex-
! tended to all enlisted men,
1 Mr.. Francisco's career after his dis
charge Is hardly less interesting than
| ais war record Straight from his army
| experience he went to work as farm
hand, but In 1867 embarked in the lum-
| Der business. Later he established a
grocery store in Mason City, Ia, which
| became one Of the largest in the state.
There are other youngest soldiers OF
| the war" Little Glib" is known far
and wide in army circles. Gilbert Van
| Landt, the we'll known cashier Of the
| Sherman House in Chicago, enlisted
| August 6, 1862. with the Seventy ninth
| Ohio volunteer infantry. He was then
| aged 10 years and months He soon
became the pet Of his regiment and
| was In all the engagements that oc-
| Cured during Sherman's famous march
| to the sea. At Nashville his colonel had
small sword made especially for him,
and the gift was accompanied by an
| other from the members of his regi-
ment In the shape Of O handsome drum
| and shield.
At Milledgeville. Ca, pony was cap
tured, and by the generals orders it
was turned over to Little Glib.
Mounted on this pony, he acted as one
| Of the generals orderlies.
When the pony was confiscated on
the muster out in Washington in June,
1865, Gilbert, who was then only 10
years and 8 months old, went to Presi-
dent Johnson and asked permission to
take his pony home with him. (which
would you rather have, the pony or an
officers commission?" asked the presi-
dent. THE pony" promptly responded
the boy. true to his equine friend, and