The Benson signal., 1918-05-25

cartridges right away Even where he stood the
shot fell thick and told him to go to the rear at
once. I would attend to the cartridges and off he
limped. Just before he disappeared the hill, he
turned and called as loud he could: "Caliber
81" have not the lad since, and his colonel
(Malmburg) on inquiry gives 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 s-that one so young, carrying a
musket-ball through his leg, should have found his
way to that fatal spot, and delivered his
message not forgetting the very important part of
the caliber of his musket, "a, which you know is
an unusual I'll warrant that the boy has in
him the elements of man, and commend him to
the government worth the fostering care Of
one of the national institutions. I am, with
spect,
"'Your obedient servant
"'W. T. SHERMAN,
"MajOr General COMMANDING
"When the poet, George II. Boxer, learned of the
episode of young Howe, he put the story in verse
"John Cook, too, gained medal of honor when a
child. He 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 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 engaged. At Antietam the bat
terry was knocked to pieces, losing about 80 per
cent of the men, killed or wounded. Captain Camp
bell fell, severely wounded, and young Cook
sisted him to the rear, quickly returning to the
firing line, where, seeing nearly all the men down
and not enough left to the guns, the little fell
low unstrapped pouch of ammunition from the
body of a dead gunner who was lying near of
the cassons ran forward with it and acted as gun
ner until the end of the fight.
81. c. Julius Langbein very small boy,
indeed when at the battle Of Camden North Caro-
lina April 49, 1862 he won his congress medal
The official record states that when a drummer
boy, he voluntarily and under a heavy fire went
to the aid of wounded officer, procured medical
aid for him and aided in carrying him to a 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 the
gress medal of honor, nobly won George D. Sid
man, a schoolboy from Michigan, mere child in
years. when he made his great record and won the
medal for distinguished bravery in battle at
Gaines Mills June 27, 1862. This battle, the
ond of the Seven Days Battles before Richmond
was one of the most disastrous battles of the Civil
war wherein Fitz John Porter's Fifth army corps
was pitted against the three army corps of Gen
erals Longstreet Hill and 'Stonewalp Jackson.
"Brig. Gen. Daniel Butterfields brigade,
posed of the Twelfth Seventeenth and Forty-fourth
New York the Eighty-third Pennsylvania and Six
teenth Michigan Volunteer infantry regiments, that
day occupied the left line of battle in the form
of q curve, with the Sixteenth and Eighty-third on
the extreme left and resting on the border OF
Cbickahominy swamp. Here the brigade was called
unon to resist several desperate charges of the
enemy during the day, which, in every instance, re-
suited in defeat of the attacking forces.
"It was in this forlorn hope rally that Sidman,
then youth of seventeen, serving in the ranks OF
Company G, Sixteenth Michigan, as private put
borne on the rolls of his company as drummer
bow distinguished himself by waving his gun and
calling 1Don his comrades to rally the colors as
be had~done thus sett;z. an example that was