Democratic Sentinel, Volume 8, Number 37, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 10 October 1884 — The Boy-Soldier. [ARTICLE]

The Boy-Soldier.

It was charged upon Napoleon, during his last campaign, that he had rifled the cradles of France to fill up his army. Yet these French infants fought at Waterloo with the courage of veterans. During our own civil war, boys served in the ranks of both armies, and showed themselves heroes. The cool, unflinching courage of “the Drummer Boy of Chattanooga” has become historical, and the foljpwing anecdote, taken from “Blue and Gray,” displays the grit of a Confederate lad of 16: During the battle of Chancellorsville, a Confederate major met a lad returning from the front. His arm, held by shreds of flesh, was dangling from the elbow. “Mister,” said the boy to the officer, “can’t you cut this thing off? It keeps knocking against the trees, and is mightily in my way.” The major dismounted, cut off the useless limb, and tieA a strip of his blouse around the stump to stop the bleeding. . “What regiment do you belong to ?” he asked his thankful patient. “Ibelong to that North Carolinaßegiment in there,” answered the lad, pointing to where the battle was raging. “I’m just 10, and this is my first fight. Don’t you think it is hard that I should get hit the first time I ever was in a battle ? We drove them out of one line of breastworks, and I was on the top of the second, when I got hit. But, oh, how we did make ’em' git!”— Youth’s Companion.