Show II Drummer Boy of A Shiloh Dies J Pi 99 I By fly ELMO SCOTT WATSON THE E death last month of Maj Gen John L. L Clem iU U. U S. S A A. retired marked the passing of a picturesque figure figure figlure fig- fig lure ure In the military history of lour bur our country It also revived Uhe dispute over who was the original Drummer Boy of Shiloh hero of a n song famous during the first two lot or three decades after the Civil war and an even more famous play during that period For no less than three times timed during the last 20 years newspaper headlines have proclaimed Drummer Boy of Shiloh Dies and in fn ini i each leach case the death of a different different different dif dif- dif dif- ferent man was chronicled as witness the clippings reproduced reproduced reproduced re re- re- re produced at the right In the face bce of this incomplete and contradictory evidence it is difficult cult to say cay which of the three was most deserving of that title The record of the fourth who died the other day Is however somewhat somewhat somewhat some some- what more complete even though I Ih he was more widely known as Ithe Drummer Drummer Doy Boy of ot Chickamauga Chickamauga Chicka Chicka- mauga mauga than as the juvenile hero at et Shiloh The Ohio Orphan Clem was born in Newark Ohio August 13 1 1831 1851 1 In May 1801 1861 the motherless boy tried to enlist as a drummer in the Third Ohio regiment which was recruited recruit recruIt- ed in and around Newark but buton buton buton on account of his ago age and small size sire a Captain McDougal of ot that regiment to whom he had hod offered of ot- feted his services refused to enroll enroll en en- roll him When the regiment started for tor the front young Clem undaunted by this rebuff took the same train to Cincinnati up where he tried again to join Rejected again Clem offered himself to the Twenty-second Twenty Michigan regiment whose officers declined t to enroll him but permitted permitted permitted per per- him to accompany the regiment when it moved over Into Kentucky Impressed by his persistence the Michigan soldiers sol aol diers diera adopted him as a regImental regimental regi regI- mental mascot raised a fund to tot t t buy him a uniform a gun which a. a had been cut down tb to his size sire and a drum and each month paid him the wages of a drummer boy t According to one account of his career At the Bottle Battle of Shiloh a 8 piece of ot shell smashed his drum and knocked him down Dut But he was instantly on his feet I this time firing his little rifle rille rapidly at the enemy who were dOS claw at fian at-fian aT and For or or th this s show of b bravery r n a v e r y he was heralded Drummer Boy of 01 Shiloh Dies Die at 70 10 in Peoria Ill lQ Peoria TIL Nor Noy r 3 I It fonroe f famed att after r tb the civil war k k The Th The J Drummer Pay of Shiloh Is la load dead her berg today at t the age at e of Tt TO 0 years 1 He It entend en tired tend the northern army when 10 years ole old Hi Its came cam from Burlington fa I. I and served erred as a drummer bo boy In Company Compan I tb r Iowa volunteer Infantry try A status of him aa as a drummer li II lion on th the th soldiers soldier monument la In Des Dea Maine oln up and looking down at him Mm ordered him to surrender lurrender Surrender ha he shout ed ed you you little d-d d son Ion of a I 1 The Th words w were re hardly out of hi his hI mouth when Johnn Johnny brought his hi piece to order or or der eer arms and as a his hi hand and supped slipped down to the hammer h. h pressed It back tack swung the gun fun un to the position of chug charge bayonet and ai a the officer raised railed his hll sabre ubre to strike the piece aside the glancing barrel lifted Into range and the proud colonel tumbled from his hi horse his has tips lips stained fresh with the syllable syllable syl lable of vile reproach he h. had nun flung on ona a mothers mother grave grav In to the bea hearing of her ber child I IFor For this feat teat Clem was promoted promoted pro pro- mated to sergeant by General Rosecrans and attached to headQuarters headquarters head head- quarters of ot the Army of the Cumberland Another account of this Incident incident incident inci Inci- dent says that it occurred when his regiment was surrounded by bythe bythe bythe the enemy who opened a hot fire on the Union troops In the midst of ot the fusillade which sent three rifle balls through young Clems Clem's cap cop he dropped to the ground as though he had been mortally wounded But Dut he was only playing playIng playing play ing possum and when night came he crept away from the battlefield and rejoined the retreating retreating retreating re re- re- re treating Northerners in Chatta Chatta- A Prisoner of War A few days after otter his arrival there the young soldier was captured cap lured by the Confederates when he was detailed with others to bring up supply trains from Bridgeport Ala lie He was held as asa asa asa a prisoner of war for 63 days during which time he was moved from place to place eventually arriving at Tallahassee Fla where he was paroled and sent to Camp Chase for tor exchange Returning Returning Returning Re Re- turning to the tho Union army once more Clem found Gen George Georgen II n Thomas The Rock Rock- Rock Rock-of ot of Chickamauga Chickamauga Chick Chick- in command of ot the Army of the Cumberland and again he was attached to headquarters headquarters headquarters head head- quarters as an orderly sergeant One apocryphal story says that It was General Thomas who promoted promoted promoted pro pro- Clem to his for killing the Confederate colonel and that thElt when he did so the boy said to him Is that all youre you're going to make me General But Dut such informality not to mention men men- Lion tion the presumptuousness of the reply even in the case of a pre- pre little drummer boy makes the authenticity of Allis f parr of yarn doubtful In addition to serving in the Y M.- M. I 4 I It I I f I i H I t t J u T i 1 M Maj l uJ Gen John L. L Clem The Drummer no Roy Boy of ot Chickamauga Laying a Wreath on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Memorial Memo l rial Da Day Exercises in Arlington National Cemetery In 1930 throughout the country as a a boy hero and was nicknamed Johnny Johnny Johnny John ny Shiloh or The Drummer Boy Doy of This evidently was only a temporary temporary tem tern temI I sobriquet however for tor it was soon succeeded by another which stuck to him through the remainder of his life lite life life- The Drummer Boy Doy of Chickamauga According to a sketch which appears appears ap ap- pears in Anecdotes Poetry and Incidents of ot the War North and South 1860 collected and arranged by Frank Frnnk Moore and published in la 1868 1866 he won his title In this way war At AI a be he Wed ened the office oMee of marker carrying the guidon whereby sou the form the line duty having Its It Su v Y Y amore counterpart in the Uis surveyors surveyor's more peaceful calling In tD th the th tl flag g mao man who flutters Butters the red signal along alone the metes metee and nd bound On the Sunda Sunday of the bat bt tie tl tie the little UtU f fellows fellow's Jow occupation gone con fee be picked vp fro P a IUD gun that bad had fallen from Come feme d dying hand provided himself with and began Ian putting In tD the perSo periods tod Ia quite on hia IQ own account bin blaz awa se to tag ing away a to to the ground Ilk Ilk a fire fire-Ay dy la tn the Ir grass Late In the a waning day dJ the waif left Jell almost alone aton In the ate rebel dashed I whirl of battle batUe a rebel colonel colon dashed battles of ot Shiloh and Chickamauga ga Clem also saw action at Perryville Perryville Per- Per Stone River Resaca Kenesaw Mountain Peach Tree Creek Nashville and Atlanta I At the end of the war Clem returned to Newark to finish school and then set about winning winning winning win win- ning an appointment to WestPoint West Point He Jle was sent gent to the military mill mili tary academy as a large cadet by President Grant and was graduated in 1871 as a second lieutenant From then on he was promoted through the grades until until un un- til Ut he became a general brigadier in 1915 1815 and the following year he was retired from the army as a major e e eThe e eThe The song The Drummer Boy Doy of Shiloh apparently had no connection with the career of Clem or any of the other claimants claimants claim claim- ants for tor that title For its hero died thereby causing many a schoolgirl of ot the sixties and seventies sev seventies enties to shed tears over his sad fate Perhaps you OU remember it 1 FAMED DRUMMER BOY OF SHILOH DIES John lohn E. E Butler on Whose Who Record Play Was Wu Based Bated Expires Expires Ex Ex- pires piru at 77 17 I Paw 6 By lb lb A. Pra r. r Ta Pa JJ U.-t U. m mu as u the dru mer toy boy of or Shiloh durIng d durn dur dur- r I Ing n the Civil War John Joh Le E. E 11 dl ell at his hll home horn here her last night AI Al Although though only 12 11 years ole old Duller Butler then thena i a resident of Princeton Ind answered l 1 President Lincoln first call 1 for vol yol In teat He Turn 4 down on the core eore of hi hl hi Dutler Outler per and finally won hi way tl to a apost I post as U drummer boy In the Real neel rhent Indiana ana Volunteer Infantry A After ner seeing active service I several I major battle with the Indiana regi rel regiment ment commanded by th tM CM then Brig Brie I Uen Jen Ulysses Vires 8 S. Grant Ont Butler Outler I dealt himself In II tub bat bat- I II d. It of Shiloh In April In-April April 1161 Iii Ills hero- hero 1 under fire nr In n this combat earned him the praise of the Union Army fh rh wartime play pia The Tie Drummer Boy Hoy Boyf jot f va sea based baud on Butler ryar 1 record ecord V Mustered out of the Army In ll iG Duller wa was attracted to Western Penn by the url early oil excitement Later ter he h. conducted a successful busl bust lee eol In oil product On Shiloh Shiloh's dark and bloody plain The dead and wounded lay Amongst them was wa the drummer boy Who played the drum that day A wounded soldier held him up The Th drum was w. by his hie side He lie smiled shook hands then raised his hI eyes eye And prayed before be he diedO died O 0 mother said laid the dying boy Look down from heaven on me 0 clasp me In thy fond embrace And bear me ma up to thee Ive I've loved my country as m my God Cod To serve them both Ive I've tried II II smiled shook hands hInd then raised his hi eyes eyel And prayed before he be died This song may have been based upon a real incident in the battle of Shiloh but that is doubtful It is probable that the currency of the phrase The Drummer Boy Doy of Shiloh or a certain musical quality in that title may have han been the Inspiration inspiration inspiration tion for tor some song writer who sat himself down and wrote this sentimental highly moral ballad which is so typical of that period in our musical history see e As for tor the play The Drummer Drummer Drummer Drum Drum- mer Boy Doy of Shiloh it too may mayor mayor or may not have been based upon any authentic incident in that sanguinary engagement But that didn't prevent its being the favorite favorite favorite fa fa- fa- fa theatrical offering ofTering of ot post- post Civil war times In fact in its popularity it was second only toUncle toUncle to toUncle Uncle Toms Tom's Cabin Ask your mother or dad what was the first play they ever saw and its it's pretty likely that if their reply isn't Uncle Toms Tom's Cabin it will wUl be beThe beThe beThe The Drummer Boy Doy of Shiloh Written u Written by a a Veteran Veteran This classic of the American stage was written by Samuel J. J a native of Cincinnati Ohio who had served during the War Between the States in Company Company Company Com Com- pany B D of the One Hundred and Second regiment Ohio Volunteer infantry Another Civil war veteran veteran veteran vet vet- eran Alexander Frank Nail of Mansfield Ohio later purchased it and beginning in 1873 he staged this stirring war drama for nearly 40 years in cities and towns all over the northern states from Massachusetts to Califor Califor- nia Nail himself played the role of the faithful lovable old negro servant Uncle Joe and aid one reason reason reason rea rea- son why the play was such a success success suc sue cess quite aside from the fact that it contained stirring drama tear-jerking tear pathos and sure-fire sure comedy was because veterans of the war their sons and daughters daughters daughters daugh daugh- and other young people inthe in inthe inthe the communities where it was played were given parts in the cast thus making it something of ofa ofa ofa a home talent production Later Later Later Lat Lat- er when the ranks of the Civil war veterans became thinner and thinner each year Spanish Amer ican war veterans had parts Inthe in inthe inthe the play One of ot Eugene Woods Wood's delightful Back Dack Home sketches is devoted to The Drama in Our OurTown OurTown OurTown Town and in it he says Yes Yea I saw laW The Tilt Drummer Boy of Shiloh Just jul the same lam as II you did Laura Laure Hornbaker who was WI Esther Either was wal the girl tha that t Mose Moe Coogler wanted to get and end that Johnny Durfee got lOt Most Moss was wu afterward prosecuting attorney you le- le member He Re played the part of tJ the Rebel Colonel and was w. In command of and nd who should hould turn up among mone the Union prisoners but Johnny John ny ray Durfee Dunes that got rot engaged to Laura before the war broke out She mI roll Moss Mose because becu h bt be talked so 10 against the Old Flag FlU Harry Detwiler that played the Dutch Recruit wasn't In the prison scene Icen at et ataU atall etall all aU because he h. was w. such luch an awful cut cutup up you couldn't help laughing at t him an and this scene Icen wasn't wn Intended to be a bit funny tunny The Company K boys boYI were all aU In an rags rail and chalked up to look pale pal and starved to death In walks Mose MOil Coo ler tar with a bucket ane and he h. wet sawdust Ilk It was wu chicken feed teed The They made mad out It wa was WI cornmeal And the boy boys grabbled for It with their hands hand like Uke they were crazy craty to 10 get let It and pretended pre pro tended to eat It IL Oh Ob It U made mad you wU wild to see lee em Johnny Durfee Dune was wa supposed ed to be De too sick lick to be able abl to get let his ea share chars be he had such uch pretty black eyes eye and mustache I So tattle Little JImR Jimmy the Drummer Roy Hoy oy of ot Shiloh who was w. supposed to be the brother of Johnn Johnny Durfee Duties young youn Loosh Ranson Benon played the part pan be he up and asks aalta Moss Mose for something for or his hla poor sick lck brother That w. w was Moses Mose's chance to get let even with Johnn Johnny for cutting him out with Laura Lama So he be roan roars out No thin you u Yanks Yankee dogs I No ol Right here In an Inthis this prison pen you shall rot starve tarve and nd Biel ool Oo-ool Oo ool You ought to have hud heard the people grit their teeth at that So Loosh he h. throws himself at Mo Moses Mose's feet and nd begs beg and pleads with him Out But MARSHON DRUM DRUMMER BOY OF SHILOH DIES IN LOS IOS ANGELES AT 86 I Wf Lo Lou Lol 1 Angeles Anel Cal J July jr JL Burial rewires teh wail III t be held hel here her tomorrow for tor MaJ tats W W. ft II Mad Mu shon thon 1 II drummer r 1 oy of Shiloh Maj Md Marshon 14 late lass r e ter Uy of spoil lexy alter after er 1 wee weeks Illness Ili III wife 1 Ue was aa II stricken similarly two taro days day after the tIN major and died last tast we week k Maj old Marshon was porn born In Fort W Wayne ne Ind ne 4 and among amon his hi most mot cherished possessions w. w was wai a drum 1 pie 18 to him by his civil par regiment rest regi meat ment flu tb Thirtieth Indiana Volun Volunteers t leers ere b bearing an Inscription authenticating l' l him Mm as a ashe the he he Drummer Boy I of Shiloh |