Boy soldiers. From the N. O. Picayune, September 15, 1907.
Captain Dinkins Asks each State to count her young Heroes—Lads who went from schoolroom and Playground to the Grim work of war.
Having read a statement recently that one county in Virginia gave nine boys under seventeen years of age to the Confederate cause, I am induced by every feeling of pride and patriotism for my native (Madison) County, State of Mississippi, to make record, as well as comparison of the boys who volunteered from that county, and I tender my thanks to the Canton Picket and Canton Times for kindly aiding in the matter.
It will be noted that six entered the service at fifteen, twenty-nine at sixteen, and five at seventeen years of age.
It is almost certain the list is incomplete, but I am only able to give the following:
Richard Courtney, fifteen; Landon C. Cheek, fifteen; Mat Chambers, fifteen; W. L. McKee, fifteen; Joseph Tucker, fifteen; Charles Vanhouten, fifteen; Leon Bailey, sixteen; A. B. Coleman, sixteen; Horace Coleman, sixteen; W. F. Dancy, sixteen; Addison Dancy, sixteen; James Dancy, sixteen; James Dinkins, sixteen; W. Scott Field, sixteen; Wesley Drane, sixteen; Richard Denson, sixteen; David Galtney, sixteen; J. M. Grafton, sixteen; W, H. Howcott, sixteen; J. P. Hickman, sixteen; Charles Handy, sixteen; Junius Mahoon, sixteen; Robert M. Mosby, sixteen; H. D. Priestley, sixteen; Wm. Priestley, sixteen; John H. Rogers, sixteen; Winter Shipp, sixteen; Samuel Shipp, sixteen; P. R. Sutherland, sixteen; Ludlow Smith, sixteen; Alonzo Sims, sixteen; Theophrastus Sims, sixteen; Jacob Troutman, sixteen; John Willis, sixteen; Wallace Wood, sixteen; James L. Finley, seventeen; Harry Field, seventeen; George Harvey, seventeen; V. H. Kyle, seventeen; David Sadler, seventeen.
