Private Jesse LaRue

Jesse Lafayette LaRue was another of the young men whose eagerness to preserve the Union combined with his youthful desire for glory. He was only sixteen when he enlisted, lying about his age. (Recruiters obviously did not inquire too deeply into the matter when a young-looking man volunteered for service.)

Jesse clearly had much going for him, as his post-war career was extremely successful. After the war, he attended medical school at the University of Iowa. He eventually practiced medicine in Iowa, Arkansas, and in the Indian Territory (now Oklahoma).

This tribute to Jesse LaRue's service to his country is provided by his proud great-great-grandson, Charles Van Tuyl.