The Soldier Boy; or, Tom Somers in the Army.
by Oliver Optic.
PREFACE.
This volume is not altogether a military romance, though it contains the adventures of one of those n.o.ble-hearted and patriotic young men who went forth from homes of plenty and happiness to fight the battles of our imperilled country. The incidents of the story may be stirring and exciting; yet they are not only within the bounds of probability, but have been more than paralleled in the experience of hundreds of the gallant soldiers of the loyal army.
The work is not intended to approach the dignity of a history, though the writer has carefully consulted the "authorities," both loyal and rebel, and has taken down the living words of enthusiastic partic.i.p.ants in the stirring scenes described in this volume. He has not attempted to give a full picture of any battle, or other army operation, but simply of those movements in which the hero took a part. The book is a narrative of personal adventure, delineating the birth and growth of a pure patriotism in the soul of the hero, and describing the perils and privations, the battles and marches which he shared with thousands of brave men in the army of the Potomac.
The author has endeavored to paint a picture of the true soldier, one who loves his country, and fights for her because he loves her; but, at the same time, one who is true to himself and his G.o.d, while he is faithful to his patriotic impulses.
The work has been a pleasure to me in its preparation, and I hope it will not disappoint the reasonable expectation of those partial friends whose smile is my joy, whose frown is my grief. But, more than all, I trust this humble volume will have some small influence in kindling and cherishing that genuine patriotism which must ever be the salvation of our land, the foundation of our national prosperity and happiness.
WILLIAM T. ADAMS.
DORCHESTER, Feb. 22, 1864.
CHAPTER I.
THE BATTLE OF PINCHBROOK.
"Fort Sumter has surrendered, mother!" shouted Thomas Somers, as he rushed into the room where his mother was quietly reading her Bible.
It was Sunday, and the exciting news had been circulated about the usually quiet village of Pinchbrook Harbor. Men"s lips were compressed, and their teeth shut tight together. They were indignant, for traitors had fired upon the flag of the United States. Men, women, and children were roused by the indignity offered to the national emblem. The cannon b.a.l.l.s that struck the walls of Sumter seemed at the same time to strike the souls of the whole population of the North, and never was there such a great awakening since the Pilgrim Fathers first planted their feet upon the rock of Plymouth.
"Fort Sumter has surrendered!" shouted the indignant young patriot again, as his mother looked up from the blessed volume.
"You don"t say so!" exclaimed Mrs. Somers, as she closed the Bible, and removed her spectacles.
"Yes, mother. The infernal rebels hammered away at the fort for two days, and at last we had to give in."
"There"ll be terrible times afore long," replied the old lady, shaking her head with prophetic earnestness.
"The President has called for seventy-five thousand volunteers, and I tell you there"ll be music before long!" continued the youth, so excited that he paced the room with rapid strides.
"What"s the matter, Thomas?" asked a feeble old gentleman, entering the room at this moment.
"Fort Sumter has surrendered, gran"ther," repeated Thomas, at the top of his lungs, for the aged man was quite deaf; "and the President has called for seventy-five thousand men to go down and fight the traitors."
"Sho!" exclaimed the old man, halting, and gazing with earnestness into the face of the boy.
"It"s a fact, gran"ther."
"Well, I"m too old to go," muttered gran"ther Greene; "but I wa"n"t older"n you are when I shouldered my firelock in 1812. I"m too old and stiff to go now."
"How old were you, gran"ther, when you went to the war?" asked Thomas, with more moderation than he had exhibited before.
"Only sixteen, Thomas; but I was as tall as I am now," replied the patriarch, dropping slowly and cautiously into the old-fashioned high-back chair, by the side of the cooking stove.
"Well, I"m sixteen, and I mean to go."
"You, Thomas! You are crazy! You shan"t do any thing of the kind,"
interposed Mrs. Somers. "There"s men enough to go to the war, without such boys as you are."
"You ain"t quite stout enough to make a soldier, Thomas. You ain"t so big as I was, when I went off to York state," added gran"ther Greene.
"I should like to go any how," said Thomas, as he seated himself in a corner of the room, and began to think thoughts big enough for a full-grown man.
"Fort Sumter has surrendered," shouted John Somers, rushing into the house as much excited as his brother had been.
"We"ve heard all about it, John," replied his mother.
"The President has called for seventy-five thousand men, and in my opinion the rebels will get an awful licking before they are a fortnight older. I should like to go and help do it."
The exciting news was discussed among the members of the Somers family, as it was in thousands of other families, on that eventful Sunday. Thomas and John could think of nothing, speak of nothing, but Fort Sumter, and the terrible castigation which the rebels would receive from the insulted and outraged North. They were loyal even to enthusiasm; and when they retired to their chamber at night, they ventured to express to each other their desire to join the great army which was to avenge the insult offered to the flag of the Union.
They were twin brothers, sixteen years of age; but they both thought they were old enough and strong enough to be soldiers. Their mother, however, had promptly disapproved of such suggestions, and they had not deemed it prudent to discuss the idea in her presence.
On Monday, the excitement instead of subsiding, was fanned to a fever heat; Pinchbrook Harbor was in a glow of patriotism. Men neglected their usual occupations, and talked of the affairs of the nation. Every person who could procure a flag hung it out at his window, or hoisted it in his yard, or on his house. The governor had called out a portion of the state militia, and already the tramp of armed men was heard in the neighboring city of Boston.
Thomas Somers was employed in a store in the village, and during the forenoon he mechanically performed the duties of his position; but he could think of nothing but the exciting topic of the day. His blood was boiling with indignation against those who had trailed our hallowed flag in the dust. He wanted to do something to redeem the honor of his country--something to wipe out the traitors who had dared to conspire against her peace. On his way home to dinner, he met Fred Pemberton, who lived only a short distance from his own house.
"What do you think now, Fred?" said Thomas.
"What do I think? I think just as I always did--the North is wrong, and the South is right," replied Fred.
"Who fired upon Fort Sumter? That"s the question," said Thomas, his eyes flashing with indignation.
"Why didn"t they give up the fort, then?"
"Give up the fort! Shall the United States cave in before the little State of South Carolina. Not by a two chalks!"
"I think the North has been teasing and vexing the South till the Southerns can"t stand it any longer. There"ll be war now."
"I hope there will! By gracious, I hope so!"
"I hope the South will beat!"
"Do you? Do you, Fred Pemberton?" demanded Tom, so excited he could not stand still.
"Yes, I do. The South has the rights of it. If we had let their n.i.g.g.e.rs alone, there wouldn"t have been any trouble."