02/07/2025
WHAT THE CIVIL WAR CAN TEACH US ABOUT NEW YEARS' RESOLUTIONS
I've been re-reading J.H. Mills's history of the 21st New York Volunteer Infantry (first published in 1864), and was struck yesterday by a passage that has something to say about perseverance. For context, Mills described something he witnessed during a march in April 1862 from Catlett Station to Falmouth, Virginia, a brutal overnight trek of more than 20 miles through an intense thunderstorm on a dark, moonless night:
"I shall never forget one incident of this march. At Catlett's, on the second night of our bivouac, we were joined by a squad of recruits . . . One, a slight handsome boy who could not have been more than fifteen years of age, attracted me especially. His history, or as much of it as I afterwards learned, was as follows: His parents lived in Canada, and being of an ardent impetuous temper, and fired with the desire to see and take part in the struggle "over the border," he had deserted his school and applied to Major Drew for the position of private in the Twenty-First N.Y.S.V. His sorrowing parents discovered his whereabouts while the Major was hesitating to accept one so young, but still the boy was determined to go, and finally it was arranged that he should accompany the Major as a sort of confidential servant, and thus be under his personal protection. I saw him often during that day's march, pale, apparently almost exhausted, yet with fire in his eye, and manful nerve in every effort. A pitying soldier relieved him of his pack, and when night came he shared the blanket of another and slept like a hero, and next day he again moved on, side by side with strong men, with a heart as strong as any." (pg. 163)
The problems of having 15-year-olds in the army aside, have you ever felt like this teenager? Overwhelmed? Exhausted? Feeling like giving up on a goal or a dream?
A few things are striking about this story that brought these questions to my mind. One is that despite the physical and mental exhaustion, this unnamed private continued on "with fire in his eye." Sometimes we may not feel brave, but the simple act of going on can inspire others around us. Another is that part of what helps to keep him going is the grace of the "strong men" around him. It would have been easy for them to bully the young man, discard as him as something that is "in the way." But someone put aside their tough persona to literally help their aspiring comrade shoulder the load during a trying time. We all need help sometimes, just as sometimes those around us need a helping hand.
Mills referred to the neophyte soldier as "a hero" - Someone who kept going because they were standing up for what they believed in spite of the risks involved. A hero indeed!
Best wishes to everyone.
(image credit: "Winter Campaigning. The Army of the Potomac on the move. Sketched near Falmouth -- Jan. 21st." Alfred Waud, Library of Congress.)
Our preserved U.S. fort & museum tell the story of life in Arlington during the American Civil War.
