John Clem, the “Drummer Boy of Chickamauga,” Fondly Recollects, As a Son Would a Father, His Old Commander, Gen. George H. Thomas He recalls "My loved friend Gen. Thomas," and how he tried "to guide me in the proper way. Donations to the Trust are tax deductible to the full extent allowable under the law. Every purchase supports the mission. JOHN LINCOLN CLEM THE DRUMMER BOY OF CHICKAMAUGA MAJOR GENERAL U.S. ARMY 1937 1851 He was initially discharged at the age of 13 in 1864. John Lincoln Clem was born in Newark, Ohio. - NARA - 530397.tif John Lincoln Clem, army officer, was born in Newark, Ohio, on August 13, 1851. In 1941 she was acquired by the U.S. Army and assigned the name USAT John L. Clem, about which time she was also briefly assigned a US Navy ID, AP-36.She did not serve with the navy however, and spent most of the … As the Confederate forces surrounded the unit, a Confederate colonel spotted Clem and shouted either “I think the best thing a mite of a chap like you can do is drop that gun” or called him a “damned little Yankee devil,” according to various sources. Last Years. Clem, then 12, John Clem, a Drummer Boy at 11, dies at 86,” Chicago Tribune, 15 May 1937, 20. 2. He fought in the Civil War at the age of ten. Clem returned to school and graduated from Newark High School in 1870.Clem was readmitted into the army in 1871, commissioned as a second lieutenant. He retired in 1915 with the rank of brigadier general. the Headquarters of the Army of the Cumberland, and placed on the roll For his actions, Clem was promoted to sergeant, the youngest soldier ever to become a noncommissioned officer in the U.S. Army, and became known as the “Drummer Boy of Chickamauga.”. (Read here); John L. Clem. Clem was discharged from the Army in 1864 at age 13, but sought to rejoin the military in 1870. 2. He halted and brought his musket up when the He retired on the eve of U.S. entry into World War I with the rank of major general, the last Civil War veteran to actively serve in the U.S. Army. The American Battlefield Trust and our members have saved more than 53,000 acres in 24 states! was regularly enlisted as a drummer in that regiment. He was the last Civil War veteran on the army rolls at the time of his retirement. Please consider making a gift today to help raise the $170,000 we need to preserve this piece of American history forever. Gen. John Clem, the "drummer boy of Shiloh". The difference in their … Help save a crucial 22-acre tract on the battlefield where 14 African American soldiers earned the highest military honor in the land. In spring 1861, John Joseph Klem (he later War. Mile by mile, William T. Sherman and Joseph E... On October 7, 1862, Maj. Gen. Don Carlos Buell's... Chickamauga: Georgia's River of Death. Rather than surrender, Clem shot the colonel and successfully made his way back to Union lines. when he retired with the rank of brigadier general. (Submitted on June 9, 2010, by Heather Crawford of Newark, Ohio.) in 1864, age 13. Duval & Son … Not yet 10 years old, Clem’s service was refused by the newly formed 3rd Ohio. He died in San Antonio, Texas, on May 13, 1937 After the commander Viola was born on August 16 1922, in Hillman, Montmorency, Michigan. Help preserve American history forever with your tax-deductible year-end gift today! He tagged along anyway, and the 22nd eventually adopted him as mascot and drummer boy. When President Abraham Lincoln in May 1861 issued the call for volunteers to serve in the Union army for a three year term, one of those who tried to answer was Ohio resident John Clem.Not yet 10 years old, Clem’s service was refused by the newly formed 3rd Ohio. They agreed to let him follow the regiment, adopting him as a mascot and unofficial drummer boy. Like many other future Confederate... Save History with Your Year-End Gift Today, Preserve 108 Acres of the Most Important Unprotected Battlefield Land, Save 40 Acres of the American Revolution Southern Theater, Kentuckians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation, Virginians: Support Battlefield Preservation Legislation. Can get your very own piece of shell Clem retired, Congress passed an act promoting him Corporal... The age of ten the most compelling tales of the most compelling tales of the of! 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