- Joined
- Jan 8, 2012
Abram Furman Springsteen initially enlisted at age 11 as Private/Musician, Co. A, 35 IN Infantry, but apparently his parents weren't too keen on the idea, especially when the unit was headed for the battlefield:
“When the regiment was ordered to the front, however, and was entertaining at the old Jefferson depot on South street, in Indianapolis, the parents kidnapped the boy and took him to a farm owned by relatives near Noblesville for hiding. Missing the drummer boy at Cincinnati the captain of the company wired back to Indianapolis threatening arrests."
At his parent's application he was discharged a few months later. Undeterred, however he reenlisted in Co. I, 63 IN Infantry at the ripe old age of 12, this time with his parent's consent, but came close to experiencing a repeat of his previous enlistment:
"The night the regiment was to entrain for actual service, the parents received permission to take the boy home for the night. Suspecting another attempt to keep him out of the fighting; the boy climbed out of an upstairs window and hurried back to camp.”
The tenacious lad was captured in battle, but escaped, and returned to service. He survived the war, living until 1930. For his full life story see the following account:
“When the regiment was ordered to the front, however, and was entertaining at the old Jefferson depot on South street, in Indianapolis, the parents kidnapped the boy and took him to a farm owned by relatives near Noblesville for hiding. Missing the drummer boy at Cincinnati the captain of the company wired back to Indianapolis threatening arrests."
At his parent's application he was discharged a few months later. Undeterred, however he reenlisted in Co. I, 63 IN Infantry at the ripe old age of 12, this time with his parent's consent, but came close to experiencing a repeat of his previous enlistment:
"The night the regiment was to entrain for actual service, the parents received permission to take the boy home for the night. Suspecting another attempt to keep him out of the fighting; the boy climbed out of an upstairs window and hurried back to camp.”
The tenacious lad was captured in battle, but escaped, and returned to service. He survived the war, living until 1930. For his full life story see the following account:
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