"LITTLE ABE."

Western Star, Issue 946, 9 May 1885, Page 2 (Supplement)

"LITTLE ABE."

; The foliowing:faots were given by a gentleman Who served through the war and.in .the company with "Little' A.be/' who is believed to have been the; young-! est person (enlisted. The i igentlemau could the'name of 'the little lad, 'who was known in the;army asLitt)e Abe,, andiwho, r was, enlisted at iJeffer-; son Barracks at St Louis, Mo., May t 1,, 11861/as adrummer;*at■ the age'.of seven, yjears arid one ; mOrith. He belonged to company %' Second United States |a| fantry, t afterwards. Major-Gen-' oral Steel. The reason which influenced tjie acceptanceof 'So young a 'recruit were'that his. father 5 was in 'the service and•■hw.mbtniar'idead..; There were.no re}*-, tiVes iwho could>or would look after ;ihe| boy,'and so,'with the consent of the authorities, he was put with ;:his faiher in the.army. Little Abe was ; a 1 favourite i with ..both officers and men., He'displayed;at all times the coolest bravery arid utter 'ignorance <of fear. ! His 'favourite position was in the" front rknk ih'b'attle,.and,as soon as.he saw a soldier ifall -disablsjd he wonld throw away his dram, seteethe musket of hisi fMleh-cOmrade and load and fire as coolly ■ ,as the most harde'hed veteran, although His diminutive siie and strength did nOt alloW' : him J (;o elevate the gun spine kind of a rest. In the early part of his army experience/at one of the bat- 1 ties when the 'Union forces found it nV cessaryto'take up.a; position, in the rear,' Little Abe got possession of a gun, and, vfhen the army l ; was forced back, his dram was captured' by the Confederates. He was reprimanded and told tjiat, when* retreating, if he could not carry it with him, he should destroy it. Ever after 1 this, when in battle he saw a chance to get a:gun,he smashed in the heads of his drum, and then devoted his Whole time to his preferred employment of popping;, at the I rebs. At the close of a skirmish one day he was found crying. Somebody inquired what troubled him, and received an , explanation to the: effect that he had been unable to have any shooting* The mea >of company E, wanted to fit him out with a rifie made in accordance with his siaa j but the desire was not granted, as according to the regulations he must carry atdrum. Little Abe passed 'through the war without receiving,a wound, although always in. the front rank and in many engagements. Of his career sihoe then nothing isknown to the wri-