From the September 9rh Hawaii Reporter.
1851-1937
From Newark, Ohio and in May 1861, ran away ro join the Union Army at age nine. He was rejected by the 3rd Ohio who "weren't enlisting infants." he was told the same thing by the 22nd Michigan, but tagged along with them anyway as a drummer boy. Even though he was not enrolled as a regular soldier, he performed various duties around camp. The officers of the 22nd chopped in $13 a month to pay him, the same as regular soldiers were getting.
In 1862, he was at the Battle of Shiloh where his drum was smashed by an artillery shell and he became a hero and earned the nickname Johnny Shiloh.
During the Union retreat at Chickamauga, a Confederate officer charged the cannon Johnny Clem was riding with and yelled, "Surrender you damned little Yankee!" just before Clem killed him. Because of his courage, Johnny Clem received yet another name, "The Drummer Boy of Chickamauga."
More to Come. --Old B-Runner
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