Sinopsis

ON March thirty-first, 1854, with the consent of my widowed mother, I
ed the United States Army. I enlisted for a period of five years, as a
musician in the general service, at the recruiting office, at No. 115 Cedar
Street, New York City. My age was twelve years and nine months. I was of
slender build, but in good health and ed the medical examination.
After being sworn in at a notary's office in Nassau Street, I was conducted
by the recruiting sergeant to the Governor's Island boat landing at the
Battery; there he placed me in charge of Sergeant John Brown, cockswain of
the eight-oared barge manned by soldiers from the Island. As this was then
the only way for enger...