The National tribune., 1911-01-05
YOUNGEST SOLDIER.


George E. Goodrich. SIG Eighth ave-
nue. south, Minneapolis, Mimi. saw an
article in The National Tribune of Aug.
IL. in which George Hutcheson claims
to be the youngest soldier of the re-
bellion living. He claims his age is 81
years. and Comrade Goodrich says he
can knock two years Off that count.
He gives his record as follows: II was
born in COllingwood. Canada, March -,
1850, and enlisted Feb. %, 1854, in NIL
waubee as Musician of Co. G, 4th u. s.
1 served with my regiment in the FittA
Army Corps in Gen Grants campaign
of the Potomac. and was engaged in
the battles of the Wilderness. Spotsyl-
vania, North Anna, Cold Harbor and
siege of Petersburg, and also at the sur
render OF Lee at AppomattoS Court
House. At the time Of the surrender
we We're Grants Headquarters Guard.
was discharged Jan. s. 1866, by a spe-
cial order. 7 was not quite / when
enlisted. and was so years old last
March" Comrade Goodrich wants the
record of any soldier serving in the
war of the rebellion younger than he.
James w. Ferguson, co. I, 14th Wis,
Wenatchee, Wash, saw in The National
Tribune Of Sept. the claim OF Fillmore
II. BTist, Co NJ, 1St Wis. Cav, of be-
ing the Youngest enlisted volunteer sol
dior of the civil war. Conrads Fergu-
son has the discharge OF Joseph r.
Wheeler, co. H, 9Th Va, and copied the
following from It: WAS enrolled on
the first day OF October, 1861. to serve
three years; was born in Guyandotte.
State of Virginia; is II years old, 4 feet
7 inches high"
Alfred VI. Wheeler. a noncommission-
ed Staff Sergeant of the 9th Mo. Cav,
~
claims OF being this youngest soldier in
the war OF the rebellion, and he tells
of a few kids" who were in the 9Th
No. Cav. Comrade Wheeler writes
James Cook. Co. c, enlisted. at RoiIo,
Mo, in 1851 and served three years.
He was mustered out Dec 81. 1854, at
New Orleans, La. He then lacked 50
days Of being 16 years old. James Baker
and Abe Willis enlisted in Co. c IN
January, 1852, at RolIo, Mo They
were SO small we had to cut down and
remake uniforms for them. They served
three years, and neither was 4 at the
time of enlistment. Three years ago
they were living In Texas. All three
OF these "kids' made Al soldiers
Comrade Wheeler does not claim that
Co. had the youngest civil war SOL
der, but he does claim that Co. H Of
his regiment had, and he tells OF a boy
OF or 10 who came on board their
steamboat at Natchez as they were 60
ing from Vicksburg. He asked for
something to eat and said he had no
parents and no home. He went with
Co. H to Baton Rouge, and Capt. Nor
ris, OF that company, made him his
Orderly. The boy gave his name as
Heanon. He took part in several bat
ties, and was finally wounded and was
in the hospital for a long time. After
nF
Co. II by Capt. Morris, with the ap-
proval OF Leut-Col. Bacon Montgom-
cry. ComraGS Wheeler say5 II any Of
the boys of 90. II, 6th Mo-. are living
they can vouch for the truth OF this
story.
William Hess, Marston. No., enlisted
IN the Fall OF 1851 in Co. B. s7th Ohio.
He was at Shiloh. Corinth and Vicks-
burg, and was taken prisoner and pa
rolled at Jackson, Miss. He re-enlist-
ed In the 15t Ala. Cav. ana served as
Corporal. He was wouudsd while fight
ing Forrest ct Vincent's Crossroads, %
was fighting Bragg he wag In eight
skirmishes Ho was taken TO Iuka and
lay six days there, and was sent to
Memphis and shot in the left thigh.
It was 1S days before the bone was set.
Comrade Hess wants to hear from
members OF the lEt Ala.
Alonzo I. Gage, s01 West Eirst street,
Dixon, ILL.,, fnds in The National Trib-
une OF Nov. 10 that Comrades E A.
Wiiloughby, Cos. e and 9, 1ath III.
CaY.i Cash Robson, Co. 3, s2d H..
Launcelot L. Scott, Sergeant, Co. g,
18th Ohio. and c. W Watkins, Hunt
ington, Ind, think they were the young
cot noldiers OF the civil war. Comrade
Gage, who has never made known his
record before, gays he was born Sept. z,
1s4S, in Lake County, H., and enlist
cd Dec. 20, 1883. aged. II years, 8
months and 16 days. He Joined the
army at scarborough, Ala, and the
first fight was at Resace, Ca. Hs was
in every fight from that day until the
capture of Atlanta. He was discharged
in Chicago July 26. 1895. and was under
constant fire in every battle. He never
Iost an hours duty, never was sick or
got q scratch. He was pestillion on
cannon, so he was there all right He
served 1s months and two days actual
service.