The National tribune., 1911-04-20
YOUNGEST SOLDIER.

U. W. McGiunls, Co g, 18th Ky, Fall
list OF youngsters and thinks he is the young
est serving long time in the army. He
enlisted Oct. n, 1851. before he was IA.
carrd musGet three Years and ana seves ss
months. he was with Sherman on ais
march from Atlanta to the sea, and was
mustered out at Goldsboro, n. c., April
Charles Reed. Emmett, Idaho, wants the
honor OF being the youngest soldier to carry
n musket. He was born April r.. 1sis. and
enlisted In Co. A, a3d Wis, Aug. II. 1862,
and carried a musket three years and four
months. He took part in the siege Of
Vicksburg and twelve other battles.
National Tribune of Feb 9 that Comrnde s
A. Shilling, born July 81. 1S45. claims to
be the youngest soldier Comrade Mason
sts OSth %t Snt SIs mother tooi him III out
claiming he was her only support. He stay
ed with her until his father, who was serv-
Ing in Co, I. 10th vt, got home, and then
served on the New Ironsides. 'and fought
in both battles at Fort Fisher. He wants
to hear from any Of the comrades who we're
John Goldsberry. Centerville, Iowa. Co. B.,
9th Kan, wants TO enter the lists as. the
youngest soldier of the war. He was born
Sept. IS. 1S47,- enlisted April II, 1851. and
was discharged in 1865 He was captured
at Fort Smith, Ark, and spent ten months
In Tyler, Tex.
G. W. hrOeDer. 3tl lIenlRn ave, BlttS-
burg, Pa, has been reading so much in
The National Tribune about veterans claim
ing to he the youngest. and wonders what
they viii! say when they hear Of him. Conn
enlisted March l. 1885. In Co. d, 2l3th Pa.
He was must cred out on Nov. 25, 1865. at
the close of the war. He was not In any
battles, but contraced disease which has
stayed by him ever since.
Delnvan s. Miller, Watertown, N. Y. says
that many comrades have fled claims as
to the honor Of being the youngest veteran
Of the. civil war, and some are as young
as he is bat does not recall that any have
claimed that they were as young when they
entered the service. He means those regu-
larly enlisted and mustered. Comrade Nil
Ter gives his record as follows: Born Jan.
q, 1910. Enlisted March 81, 1882, In Co.
II, I'd, n. Y. Fl. A. Re-enlisted with my
with them Sept 20, 1866 Served as n
drummer boy private and clerk at brigade
headquarters"
Kan hns seen the records of young SOL
dlers In The National Tribune. and he gives
the record Of w. W. Cook. as follows: He
enlisted Aug. %, 1852. in the I'd VT. aged
1863. and Host his leg below the knee
Comrade Webb served in the same company
and regiment.
Julius Foye Sciotoville. o.. wrltes:.'I was
born April %. 1850. and enlisted in the Both
Ohio, Feb. 10, 1864. at Cincinnati, o.. at
the age of Ii years, nine months and II
days. l was with Sherman's army clear
through to the sea. and marched in the
Grand Review Mt Washington. I was a
private and carried n mnsket all through,
and was in the heavy fighting from Chat
tanooga to Atlanta
Nelson Bacon. North Yakima. Wash. has
read with much interest the statement in
The National Tribune Of George f. Good
rich, who wants the record OF any soldier
comrades claiming to be the youngest SOL
diers In the war Of the rebellion. Comrade
Bacon gives his record as follows: 81 was
born at sturgis:c Mich, Oct, 8, .1s47, and
enlisted in Co. G, 11th Mich, Aug. 2ith
1851. I was finally mustered out Sept. 30
1884. Ny mother is still living. and Is now
Mich, especially those Of Co C. should see
them"
une that Comrade Mcclure claims to be the
youngest soldier Of the civil war, and Com
rade White wishes to show that he made
mistake. Comrade MCGUIRE enlisted when
he was 1s, but did not carry musket
until he was 18, according to his statement.
Comrade White was born Oct. 2, 1s47, and
Y, carried a musket in the battles of Chan
cellorsville and Gettysburg when he was 15.
He was in the army until the close Of the
war and was In eight battles and number
Chas. Porter, crlnnell, Iowa. says he
sees that the youngest soldier is at 1t
again. and II looks to him as though there
has been many times the number making
the claim than. were enlisted at the ages
claimed. He finds from the list Of the ages
of soldiers Of the. civil war at enlistment,
IA, 1923. Comrade Porter thinks such
boys should have been in school
Oakley Randall. Worthington, W Va
Charles f. Goodrich of being the youngest
soldier. Comrade Goodrich was born
March u, 1850, and Comrade Randall says
day. as he was born March 49, 1880. He
served in the 14th W. Va. He would like
to hear from Gomrade Goodrich:
was one of the kids. He was one. Of six
1850 and served in Battery 3. % Indpt;; Pa.
l. a hS. He 1s5n 1ss5 June ~ 70 Is and
also served in Co. A. nth Pa, which was
consolidated with the 28th Pa. L. A. He
served in the front In every important bat
mustered out at Victoria, Tex, Dec. 10,
George W. Malcolm, of PittsfeId, Mass,
enlisted from that section Of Massaohu-
sets as a private carrying a musket. He
enlisted at the age of Ii years and 10
months In Co. X, Gath Mass. He served for
three years, and was engaged In 18 battles.
MahlOn H. Maxim. Governeur, N Y,
claims to be one Of the youngest veterans
of the war Of the rebellion. He was born
in Champion, y: y, May 80. 1876 and en-
listed Oct. IA, 1854, in Co. H, 1s6th n Y.
He YVES in five battles, the last being the
capturing Of Petersburg, where he was
wounded by two musket balls, In his ankle,
from which he has never recovered.
7. a. Munson, Commander, Sanford Post,
473 Nicholsyil!e, n. Y, whites: ~ be
lieve we have the youngest soldier here who
carried gun in the war of the rebellion.
William Bastin was born Dec. %. 1853, and
enlisted Sept. IA, 1864. He was In front Of
Petersburg and in three fights before he
was u years old" Comrade Munson thinks
there are not many who can beat this rec
ord.
writes: :By The National Tribune i5 of fGeI Dec.
Is, see Comrade ]. Fl. Holderfield, of Dex-
ter, Mo, enlisted in 1861 in the 9th ILL., Cav.
at the age of 16 years, and claims to be the
youngest soldier. The comrade omits to
state. however, what month and what day
of the month OF 1861 he enlisted, and the
year, month or date of his birth. He may
have been one of the youngest soldiers, but
he gives no proof to that effect.
COmrade Alex A Russell, Battalion F. 1st
Mo. Cav, of Battle Mountain Sanitarium
Hot Springs, s. Oak. WAS born in ST. Louis
Mo-, April 81. 1915. and enlisted in co. b.
Rifle Battalion, attached to the 18th Mo-.
later became Co. + of said 1st Mo-. and
tllery. COmrade Russell was 16 years and
II days old at date of enlistment and also
one of the youngest soldiers But why does
COmrade Russell feel that the merit belongs
1851? For the hnrdest marching and hottest
fighting during the war was done by the
boys of Ca and 60, and with much less to
eat. and 1t is plain to see that the youngest
soldier of '64 and Go is entitled to first
merit. II enlisted In Co. I, 1st Conn. Cav.
Jan. ), 1864, was discharged June o. 1865
and was born Mt Springfield. Mass, Jan. L.
1SiS. Therefore. was not 10 years old until
.Ia l.,tn