Show AR ONE OLD SOLDIER REMAINS Colonel John Lincoln Clem Who Enlisted En I listed at Age t Of f Ten Years Still in Service By ny DR ANDERS DOE More than 1500 OO men took part van parton vanon on the side of or the north Dorth In the grea great American Civil war from 1 1861 to ta 1865 1565 They are all nu now out of active service having hayIng fallen before the age aga limit One only is left lett and that one is Ool Col John Lincoln Con Clem first quay of the of-the the central division ot of the United States army with headquarters headquarters head head- quarters at Chicago The American Civil war has bas been called a a war boy on account of ot the extraordinary number of youths ranging ranging rang rang- ing In ages from fourteen to 10 twenty years yeara that had bad joined the army Of all these Johnny Clem was the youngest He was ten years old when he left his home In Newark 0 O. and presented himself for service as a drummer boy He was so little that he was chased away and was given a box on the ear when he came back home But Johnny would not stay away He always came back and In Inthe inthe the bloody battle of Shiloh we find him as drummer boy at the front of the regiment the Twenty-second Twenty Michigan Then took teok place the battle of Chick ChickS one of the bloodiest battles of history It was here bere that the regiment the Fifteenth Wisconsin of ot which all Norwegians In America are proud was almost completely anal annl ann I. I and Its leader Col Hans Hegg born In Lier Ier Norway found a heros hero's death On the day following he was wa to have bave been promoted to the post of brigadier genera general Here Johnny Clem was at the front frontas as usual and got the name the Drummer Drummer Drummer Drum Drum- mer Boy of Chickamauga a name by which he is known up to the present day A shell struck shuck the drum from his hands bands shattering It and Johnny sat down and cried But put he be could not long sit quiet while the battle was going on all around him so he be took tooka a gun from a dead soldier and commenced com commenced com coin I firing On came the Confederates Confederates Confederates storming and when they saw Johnny Clem with the gun they burst out laughing but Johnny took aim and killed the leader They took Johnny Clem and gave him a spanking put him on horseback and rode off orr with him Like a prairie fire tire the news spread that Johnny was captured and the whole regiment started started- In pursuit pursuit pursuit pur pur- suit soon coming back carrying John ny fly with them in triumph The battle I was won and when the troops were Inspected the general called Johnny and asked him bIm what had bad become of his drum Johnny told him It had bad be been n struck by a shell Johnny said the general any anyone one who cannot cannot cannot can can- not take care of his drum cannot be bea a drummer any longer Johnny cried But added the general from now on you will be sergeant with the regiment Johnny T ent ent through the whole w war r and the day peace was concluded he lie looked upon as a dreary day He was a veteran with medals and honorary honorary hon hon- diplomas when he be was fourteen years old I visited Colonel Colone Clem at his office and presented myself as the correspondent correspondent correspondent corre corre- of or the Chris Chrls- s- s Norway The colonel Is courteous and genial He Is broad- broad shouldered and antI well proportioned with a sprinkling of gray and a charm charm- charmIng Ing smile Yes I J 1 am the last of the veterans said he be I am now sixty-one sixty years old old and In three years years' 1 I shall also fall rall before the age limit Yes I remember well Ool Hans Hegg He was the leader leade of the Norwegians Nor and their ideal He was held In high esteem and so was the Fifteenth Fit Wisconsin While only a boy boyat boyat at that time I remember It as If it It I was yesterday They went Into the battle as to a play and very few came back The Fifteenth Wisconsin marched In front fronts front exposed to the murderous fire and thus bore the brunt of of the battle battie I then asked If he be would give me a message for tb land of Colonel Hegg whereupon he be sat down and wrote the following greeting to Norway It recalls to my memory the days daya of my youth when I think of tb the r brave Norwegian Hans Rans Hegg of the Fifteenth Wisconsin regiment and his honorable death at Chickamauga He would no doubt have bave been promoted promoted promoted pro pro- the day following If he be had not found a heros hero's death My greeting to our friends the Norwegian nation who has given so many brave AmerIcan American Amer Amer- ican citizens our very best Most respectfully JOHN L L. CLEM Colonel Second Corps |