THE END.
[THE SMALL BOY IN WAR.]
BY C. E. SEARS.
Much has been recently said and written about the resources of the nation in the event of war, the fighting capacity of our army and navy, and the character of recruits who would constitute the new army that must be speedily organized should a conflict result from present complications. The valor of the veterans who participated in our civil war has been often dwelt on, but nowhere have I seen any calculation based on the intrepidity and wild courage of the small boy—an element that constitutes a more important factor in every successful campaign than most people imagine. Literature is full of accounts of the small boy at school and at play. Humorists have depicted his weaknesses, his mischievous proclivities, and volunteer poets have made him the victim of rhyming obituaries. Dickens has painted him in pathetic colors, Thackeray has alternately satirized and sympathized with him, and Hughes has described him in his character of friend and fighter. None of his peculiarities has escaped detection. His disappointments have been ridiculed, his triumphs belittled; nor have even his sorrows been held sacred from the rude analysis and heartless ridicule of maturer and more conceited minds. While asleep the pockets of his little pants have been invaded, and their curious collections exposed to excite merriment. If he wears his cap-brim backward, smuts his face with sooty fingers or marks the progress of the season with fruit stains on his clothes, whistles from the gallery of the theatre, guys the actors, projects spiral play-bills on the spectators below, tortures the house cat, fights chickens in out-of-the-way places, or burglarizes his sister's safety bank of its pennies, he is condemned and often lashed. And these are penalties he pays for existence outside of the school-room. His life there is one of continued anxiety and peril. But this part of his history has been over and over narrated. My purpose is to give some account of the small boy on the battle-field—not in the petty conflicts that occur on the play-ground, but in the fiercer and bloodier clash of arms, where the very souls of grown men were tried, and where they were oftener found wanting than the small boy.
After Julius Cæsar had conquered Gaul, Britain, and Egypt, and had even overcome the great Pompey at Pharsalia, he found a victory over Pompey's two sons, mere lads, in Spain, a very different enterprise. Encountering them at the great battle of Munda, his army was about to yield before their intrepid leadership, when he rushed among his men, exclaiming, "Will you deliver me into the hands of boys?" He afterwards said he had often fought for victory, but it was the first time he had fought for his life.
Mr. Bryan, in a speech in Congress, made good use of an incident recorded by Muelbach, who narrated that at Marengo, when Napoleon gave up the battle as lost, and ordered a drummer-boy to beat a retreat, the lad's face saddened as he said: "Sire, I do not know how. Dessaix has never taught me retreat, but I can beat a charge. Oh, I can beat a charge that would make the dead fall into line! I beat it at Mount Tabor; I beat it at the Pyramids. Oh, may I beat it here?" The charge was ordered, and victory plucked from the jaws of defeat by the little hands of that heroic lad.
The incident is fanciful, but it is illustrative. There is a stone wall in a cemetery at Paris where many Communists were executed. When I saw it the wall still bore marks of shot, and fragments of the skin and hair of the victims were matted to the masonry. A lad who had been among the fiercest of the fighters was one of the condemned. While marching near his home and to the place of execution, he told the officer in command that he had a locket which he had just taken from the body of his dead father, and begged that he might bear it to his mother, promising to return and resume his place in the fated line. The officer, touched by his tender age, gave the permission, hoping and believing he would not return, thus sparing him the necessity of executing a mere child. Before the line reached its destination, however, the lad came up with hasty steps, stood against the wall, and faced the soldiers. The first volley tore out his brave little heart.
The cradles of France furnished the troops who fought and won the desperate battle of Wagram. "In my young soldiers," said Napoleon, "I have found all the valor of my old companions in arms."
The small boy as a soldier has never had a historian. No Foy or Napier or Thiers has done justice to his heroism; but he furnishes much of the enthusiasm, the dash and fury, of every triumphant army. It was the small boy of France who helped to win those marvellous victories under the revolutionary government of 1789, and, later, under Napoleon. When Wellington was contending against Marshal Soult in Spain, he got a number of young recruits from England whose smooth faces and dudish uniforms excited the derision of veterans. But when the conflict came they were foremost in the charge. The Duke, who had shared the contempt for these "parlor soldiers," was forced to admit that "the puppies fought well. They report oftener for duty, are capable of more endurance, and are irresistible in a charge. They need only a few veterans to steady them in action. Some are timid in the first encounter, as was Frederick the Great, but they soon overcome it." It was "a narrow lane, an old man and two boys," that saved the battle in Cymbeline, and forced on the Romans better thought of Britons than when Julius Cæsar "smiled at their lack of skill." The soul contributes more than the body to results. Take a boy of eighteen, inspire him with enthusiasm, and however fragile in form, he will outstrip, both on the march and in the field, the less impressible men with twice his physical strength. I have seen trudging in the ranks of Lee's army striplings whose equipments almost outweighed their delicate bodies. But they straggled less, were sick less, and were foremost in the fight. When the hour of battle came their faces brightened with a beautiful light, a smile would play over their features, and their disposition to cheer and charge became irrepressible. It has been said that the most dangerous antagonists are those who value their own lives the least; and these lads seemed not to think of either life or death, but the foe, the foe, and to be up and at them. Must a battery be captured? They rushed at it, and recked not of the terror and death it belched forth. Must a redoubt be carried? Forward they leaped so swift and brave, not counting the bristling mass that defended it.
"I AM THE KING'S DRUMMER AND CANNOT BEAT FOR REBELS."
Another and well-known incident of the bravery of a boy is the one which is told of a young drummer in 1798 who, in an engagement between the rebels and the King's troops, was captured. During the fight he was ordered by his captors to beat the drum for them. Without a moment's hesitation he placed his drum on the ground and put his foot through both heads, then sitting down he said, "I am the King's drummer and cannot beat for rebels."
All who have seen anything of war appreciate the presence of the small boy in the ranks, for he must be reckoned with in the hours of battle. A fury blazes in his little frame that nerves his delicate arm and gives a tiger-spring to his step.
One of the principal difficulties which have to be faced every year by the managers of interscholastic athletics is the choice of proper and competent officials for league games. It is not so difficult in the spring-time to get umpires for baseball games, but in the fall if seems to be an exceedingly difficult matter to secure the proper kind of officials for the football matches.
Not only is this difficulty encountered in New York, but we often hear of the same trouble in Boston and Philadelphia, and other great athletic centres. The main difficulty seems to be in securing referees and umpires who shall be thoroughly impartial. Inasmuch as the men who can be secured to act as officials at school games are usually graduates of the schools, or are still in the schools, or are teachers at the schools, there is always the chance that they may be more or less interested in the success of one team or the other, and so not entirely impartial in their decisions, in spite of having the best of intentions.
If it were only possible to secure the co-operation of graduates of two or three years' standing, both in this city and in others, the question of officials would be settled. This, however, would be the ideal solution of the vexing problem, and can hardly be hoped for. It might be possible to get a list of such gentlemen, who are familiar with the sport, and who would be willing, for the sake of the promotion of the sport, to give one afternoon each season to the game.
In Boston there has been so much trouble over the matter of securing competent officials for the football-games that a committee of the head masters of the schools interested finally took up the question, and, after going thoroughly into its merits, reported to the Football Association, whose executive committee thereupon passed the following resolutions:
"Voted, that all games officials should be approved by the executive committee of the association before being allowed to act, and that the officials should be, when possible, men of college rank.
"Voted, that the secretary of the association be empowered to act by the executive committee as regards the approval of games officials, except in such cases where he shall desire to call a meeting of the whole committee."
It is plain now that when this rule goes into effect, the old system of waiting to choose the officials until the teams appear upon the football field ready to play will be done away with. The captains of the teams are now compelled to meet the secretary of the Football Association before the game, and to decide upon the officials at that time. This will dispose of one of the difficulties; but the greatest difficulty of all, that of securing the individuals themselves, of getting them to promise to come, and of having them appear after they have promised, is one that cannot be overcome by legislation. It is a condition that can only be improved by an increased interest among college men in the sports of their juniors.
Among other things done by the Executive Committee of the Boston Interscholastic Football Association was the reconsideration of its former decision to compel the Cambridge High and Latin schools to compete in athletics as two separate institutions. C.H. and L. petitioned to be readmitted to the Senior Football League as a single school, and their cause was very strongly championed by a number of graduates at the recent committee meeting.
The result was that C.H. and L. was readmitted to the Senior League, and for this year at least the two schools will be represented by a single eleven. It is greatly to be hoped, however, that the young man who captains this year's team will make it his especial business to find out all about the men under him, and to know whether they attend the High or the Latin school, or neither. In this way he will avoid making the rather unexplainable mistake which occurred last year.
The decision of the committee has infused new life into the many football-players of C.H. and L., and active practice has been begun by the various squads. Warnock has been elected captain; and as this move was made upon the advice of a number of graduates, it is probable that the new leader will prove to be a man competent to avoid the pitfalls which proved so disastrous to his predecessor.
Not more than four or five of the men who played on last year's team are back in school this year. Among them is Estabrook, who will retain his old position at centre. One of his guards will undoubtedly be Usher. The tackles will probably be Fletcher and Simmons. Captain Warnock will undoubtedly go in and look after one end of the line. Back of the line we shall probably see Clarkson at quarter, and the other positions ought to be divided among Donovan, Lewis, and Hill. But it is too early to make much of a prognostication, as football was somewhat disorganized at C.H. and L. in the early part of the fall on account of the uncertainty in the future, which has now been settled by the executive committee's action.
The Hartford High-School team, after its rather poor showing a few weeks ago, has taken a big brace, and is displaying somewhat of its old-time form. The eleven went up to Springfield a week or so ago, and defeated the High-School eleven there, 18-10. The team-work on that occasion was much better than Hartford had done at any time this year, and the general snap of the players was noticeably improved.
This good work was followed up a week ago Friday in the game against Hillhouse, in which the latter was defeated, 16-4. The weakest spot in the Hartford team was right guard, which is filled by Costello. The Hillhouse men made all their gains through him, with hardly any exception. Captain Sturtevant was unable to play at quarter on account of injuries received in the Springfield game, and this may possibly account for the many holes made through guard. Had Sturtevant been at his usual post, it is probable that he could have headed off some of the runs that got past Costello. Two of Hartford's touch-downs were made by Bush, who is developing into a strong player.
The Hillhouse players fumbled badly, and many of their fumbles proved most expensive. They had gotten the ball to within one yard of the Hartford line, when they lost it through inability to keep their fingers on the leather. The New Haven men's defence was weak too, and Hartford had little trouble in getting around the ends. Their best work was done by Morris, Sternberg, and Wolfe. For Hartford the best playing was done by Bush, Strong, Twichell, and Allen.
If this improvement in the Hartford team continues, New Britain will not have such a sure thing of the championship as we all had reason to suppose a few days ago. The line-up for the rest of the season will probably be as follows: Whaples and Gillette, ends; Allen and Morris, tackles; Weeks and Costello, guards; Smith, centre; Strong and Bush, half-backs; Sturtevant, quarter-back and captain; Twichell, full-back. This team will average about 154 pounds, and, unusual as it is, the backs will average 156 pounds, two pounds heavier than the rush-line.
ENGLEWOOD HIGH-SCHOOL FOOTBALL TEAM.
Cook County Interscholastic League.
The Cook County High-School Football League's season began October 10. If we may judge from the initial game, there are four strong teams and four weak teams in the Association. Englewood H.-S. so badly out-classed Northwest Division in the first half, scoring 30-0, that the Northwest men did not care to play out the second half, which was exceedingly unsportsmanlike. Teetzel did not play for Englewood in this game, but Ferguson went in at right half in his place, and did good work. He made a number of long runs, and proved a clever substitute. The Northwest eleven did not have sufficient team-work to prevent Englewood's plays.
TEETZEL, HALF-BACK.
Englewood High-School, Chicago.
Another one-sided match was that between West Division and North Division, in which the Northerners routed the Westerners, 42-0, in 20-minute halves. West Division seemed to go to pieces in the face of the excellent team-work of North Division. Johnson, the N.D. left half-back, made a number of good runs, assisted by interference. On the whole there was little individual play, the men working well in concert.
LINDEN, END.
Hyde Park High-School, Chicago.
It was doubtless a surprise to Oak Park to be defeated, 44-0, by Lake View. Oak Park's centre was lamentably weak, and the Lake View men went through it repeatedly, and when they got tired of bucking the line they travelled easily around the ends. Evanston defeated Manual, 28-0. Manual had no team-work at all, and was defeated principally on this account, although Evanston had little trouble in making holes between guard and tackle on both sides of the line.
In the game between Hyde Park and English High, Hyde Park made a touch-down at the very start. Then followed a series of fumbles, first by Knickerbocker of Hyde Park, who caught the kick off; then by Sullivan of English High, who secured the ball and made a good run, only to lose the leather to Hyde Park again. This incident was the cause for a display of bad feeling and ill-breeding, and, worst of all, of unsportsmanlike instincts.
The English High players refused to accept the decision of the referee, and left the field, subsequently protesting the game; but, very fortunately for the good name of the Chicago League, their protest was not sustained, and the game went to Hyde Park, as it should have.
In the Inter-preparatory League the initial games were between the Princeton-Yale and University schools, the latter winning, 10-8. This game was much closer than any played by the Cook County teams, although the contesting elevens were not made up of such good men, but were more evenly matched. Fumbling was plentiful, and gave Henneberry, one of the University School half-backs, a chance to make a 40-yard run.