Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-09-16
BOY SOLDIERS OF WASHINGTON.
THE SCOTT GUARDS.
By James Croggon.

Whatever the opinion Of older people as
to preparations for war from the earli-
est days young America has shown its
delight in things military, and in school
days nothing appealed with stronger fasci l.
nation to a boys imagination than the
history of achievements of military heroes.
Here in the District, in ante-belum days.
there were many military officers on
duty at the War Department. but aside
from the marines at the barracks, and
marine guard at the navy yard. and less
than fifty ordnance men at the arsenal,
the site of which is now occupied by the
War College, and few uniformed COM
panies of the volunteer MALTA, there
were no signs of military spirit. The
boys, however. formed companies and at
one time nearly every section of the city
had its juvenile CORPS. and whenever
there was talk of war the military spirit
showed itself in the older companies
filling up and the youth formed COM
panies. not infrequently using wooden
guns or spears.
1t Is matter Of tradition that during
the war of 1872 some of the youths of
Capitol Hill were organized an infantry
company under William Hickey, who in
after years was prominent in the volun-
teer militia, and at the outbreak of the
war as a brigadier general. was ordered
to the field by President Lincoln. In con-
sequence however. of the call for special
session of Congress, he was recalled to
his position of executive clerk of the
Senate.
German on His Staff
On his staff We're \. p German, then
an officer of the Senate, who afterwar I'd
FOR many years was a senator from
Maryland. and A. II. Ragan, also an
officer Of the Senate. now resident of
this city, and they, too, resumed their
duties in that body. In the twenties and
thirties there were other junior companies
here On of them was commanded by
Capt. w. W. Moore, long connected with
military, who was the father of Col.
William G. Moore. for many years COM
mander of the Washington Light In
fantry. There was also the Washington
Junior Artillery, Capt. F. III. Williams.
which was succeeded by the Rough and
Ready Artillery of Capitol HILL Capt.
ID. ". Robinson. Later there were the
Marion Rifles. Capt f. G. Schaffer who
subsequently commanded the National
Rifles. Capt Schaffer refused to go in
the Union service and entered that of
the Confederacy; the Green Mountain
Bays, Capt. Donald McCathran, at the
navy yard. the members of which com
pany subsequently formed the Washing
pany of boys north of the patent office
of which Gen. H. c. King. L. S. A., re-
tired. now of New York. was a captain.
and some others. Most Of the boys were
between fifteen and eighteen years of
age. and on reaching that age they enter
ed the older companies such as the Presi-
dents Mounted Guards Washington Light
Infantry, the National Blues, afterward
the Grays, German Yeagers, Montgomery
Guards and others, and during the civil
war not few Of these boys were to be
found in the military service of the
United States or Confederate States.
In the fifties a junior company bore the
name of Scott Guards of which Baker A.
Jamison, now of New York, was the
captain and leading spirit. Capt. Jami-
son had been student at Capt. Part
ridges Military School at Brandywine
Springs, Del. He and several Of the
boys ranging from fifteen to eighteen
Capitol, some of them as pages, and among
them were E. r. Mexican, Eli Duvall,
James n. Callan. George r. Chase and
Andrew H. Williams. second and third
lieutenants at different times; Jerome
Chase. ensign; Jack Keyworth. orderly
Withers. James o. withers, Mack wal
lingsford, Thomas Cox. A. p. German.
Clayton Mockabee. Robert Hepburn,
Lewis Behrens, Charles p. Crandall and
Charles Massey. This company existed
in the years 1870 and +. The members
as they became of age usually continued
in the military service by uniting with
the older companies of uniformed militia
and during the civil war not few OF
them did service on one or the other