Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1918-05-30


shot fell thick and told him to go to the rear at
once. would attend to the cartridges; and off he
nmped. Just before he disappeared on the hill he
turned and called as loud as he could: "Caliber
b4" have not seen the lad since, and his colonel
(Maimburg) inquiry gives me the address above.
and says he Is bright, intelligent boy with fair
preliminary education. What arrested my atten-
ton then was-and what renewed my memory Of
the fact now is--that one so young, carrying
musket-ball through his Leg should have found his
way to me on that fatal spot and delivered his
message not forgetting the very important part Of
the caliber Of his musket .54, which you know is
an unusual one. I'll warrant that the boy has in
him the elements of man, and commend him to
the government as one worth the fostering care Of
one Of the national institutions. am, with re-
Spect,
"'Your obedient servant,
"sW. T. SHERMAN,
"'Major General Commandins'
when the poet George H. Boxer learned Of the
episode Of young Howe. he put the story in verse.
John Cook, too, gained medal of honor when
mere child He was born in Ohio, August 10, 1S47
and enlisted in Battery B, Fourth United States
artillery, at the breaking out of the war; He was
serving as bugler at Antietam, and certainly did
enough to merit his medal. The boy distinguished
himself at Antietam and in every fight in which
the command was engaged. At Antietam the bat
terry was knocked to pieces, losing about 30 per
cent Of the men, killed or wounded. Captain Camp
bell fell, severely wounded, and young Cook as
sisted him to the rear, quickly returning to the
firing line, where. seeing nearly all the men down
and not enough left to man the guns the little fell
low unstrapped pouch of ammunition from the
body Of dead gunner who was lying near one Of
the caissons forward with it and acted as gun
ner until the end of the fight.
u. G. julius Langbein wasNa very small boy,
indeed. when at the battle Of Camden, North Caro-
lima. April Is. 1852 he won his congress medal.
The official record states that when drummer
boy he voluntarily and under heavy fire went
to the aid Of wounded officer, procured medical
aid for him and aided in carrying him to place
of safety After the battle he was granted short
leave Of absence to visit his parents and what
thrill Of happiness the boy must have felt when
he handed his mother commendatory letter from
his company commander.
"And here is another boy who wears the con-
gress medal of honor nobly won: George D. Sid
man, a schoolboy from Michigan. a mere child in
years. when he made his great record and won the
medal for distinguished bravery in battle at
Gaines Mills June ~, 1862 This BATTLE the Sec
ond of the Seven Days Battles before Richmond
was one Of the most disastrous battles of the Civil
war; wherein Fitz John Porters Fifth army corps
was pitted against the three army corps of Cen
erals Longstreet, Hill and 'Stonewall Jackson.
BRIG. Gen. Daniel Butterfeld's brigade COM
posed of the Twelfth Seventeenth and Forty fourth
New York, the Eghty-third Pennsylvania and Six
teenth Michigan Volunteer infantry regiments, that
day occupied the left line of battle in the form
of curve with the Sixteenth and Eighty third on
the extreme left and resting on the border Of
Chickahominy swamp Here the brigade was called
upon to resist several desperate charges of the
enemy during the day. which, in every instance.
suited in defeat of the attacking forces.
ut was in this forlorn hope rally that Sidman,
then youth of seventeen serving in the,ranks Of
Company c. Sixteenth Michigan, private. but
borne on the rolls of his company as drummer
boy, distinguished himself by waving his gun and
calling upon his comrades to rally on the colcrs as
he had done, thus setting an example that was