The Benson signal., 1918-05-25

war was won by an army OF school,
boys The younger generation probably is not
aware of the fact that nearly a million OF those
who carried musketS on behalf OF the Federal cause
were less than sixteen years of age when they en-
listed. Statistics show that there were exactly
844,891 boys under that age in the Federal army.
There were ISL ,438 under eighteen years of age,
and Of the total enlisments of 2778,3O9 there were
2159,798 under twenty-one years OF age
Not only were the great majority of privates less
than twenty-one years of age but the records snow
that companies, regiments and brigades were COM
manded literally by schOolboys. At the close OF
the war, it is said, it was the exception to hnd
brigade or division commander who more than
thirty years old.
Brig Gen. John L. Glen is generally credited
with being the youngest soldier on record. He was
born in Newark, O., August 13, 1851. He was not
quite ten years old when he entered the volunteer
service as drummer at the beginning of the war.
Two years later when he was still not quite twelve
years old, he was regularly enlisted and took his
place in the ranks. He made sergeant for
bravery displayed in the battle of Chickamauga
and served until the close of the war. He returned
to school when the ended and graduated from
the Newark high school. In 1871 he was appoint
ed second lieutenant in the regular army and re-
maned in the regular service until 1915, when ne
was retired with the rank Of brigader general.
Among the heroes who were awarded the con-
gresional medal of honor for valor shown upon the
field of battle there were many who were mere
children. veteran officer Of the Federal army,
writing in the Philadelphia Public Ledger, recalled
some interesting history connected with some Of
these youthful heroes The writer gave the follow
Ing account of some of these unusual cases:
Robinson B. Murphy was born May IL, lS49.
He enlisted as musician at the beginning of the
war and the official statement of the action for
which he gained his congress medal reads:
cat Atlanta Ga. July %, 1864, being orderly to
hr;r do onHp he vnIn ri1 1Q6 two
regiments as re-enforcements into line Of battle,
where he had his horse shot from under him..
"He enlisted August g. 1862, at the age of twelve
years, two months and tWenty-fOur days, in the
One Hundred Twenty-seventh Illinois Volunteer
infantry, and was made orderly to the colonel of
the regiment In January 1854, he was made or
derly to Gen. J. A. J. Lightburn and participated
In several hard-fought battles In the army he was
known as Bob. When he performed the wonder
full feat that gained him the medal he only
fifteen years old. The circumstances Under which
young Murphy led two regiments into battle were
rs follows:
'The division in which General Lightburn com
manded was that day on the extreme right of the
army which was being fanked by the enemy
Young Murphy sent to the right by his general
TO find out the situation, and finding that the enc
my had fanked the right wing and was driving
them, he rode on his pony down the line and met
General Logan, who commanded that day, and
begged him with tears in his eyes for REINFORCE
ments telling him they were cutting our right all
to pieces. The general replied: I have ordered
re-enforcements from the left, and here they come
now, and if you know where they are needed Bob
show them in And that is how he came to lead
the two regiments that day. General Lightburn
wrote regarding Bob that he was not only brave
and faithful, but displayed remarkable judgment
for one of his age, as I soon found out 1 could
depend on him under any circumstances that might
arise.
"And here is another very little chap who gained
his medal, Orion P Howe, born December 20, 184S.
He enlisted early in the and was wounded at
Vicksburg and three times at Dallas, Ga. His rec
ord is brilliant one and General Sherman tells
the story in a letter of August 8, 1868:
Headquarters Fifteenth Army Corps, Camp on
Black River, August 8, 1863
"Hon. e. Stanton, Secretary Of War.
"'Sir: take the liberty Of asking, through you,
that something be done for lad named Orion 2.
Howe of Waukegan, Ill, who belongs to the Fifty
fifth Illinois, but at present is home wounded.
think he is too young for West Point, but would be
the very thing for a midshipman. When the as
sault at Vcksburg at it's height, on the 10Th Of
May and I was in front near the road, which
formed my line of attack, this young lad came up
TO me- wounded and bleeding, with good healthy
boy's cry: General Sherman, send some cartridges
to Colonel Malmburg; the men are nearly all out"
"Whats the matter my boy?" "They shot me in
h,1+T tO hn