The Portland daily press., 1869-10-04
DAILY PRESS
Monday Morning, 0otObsr 4, 1862
The Story Of A Michigan Drummer Boy.
CORTLAND

Monday Morning, OotObar 4, 1867
The story OF A Michigan DrumEie. Boy,
johnny" Ciem, of the Twenty second
| Michigan regiment, is a character. The De-
troit Post tells the story of his life as follows
John L.. Glenn, as he now writes his name
| is native of Newark, O. In the snrino ~
1868, having scarcely seen twelve Summers
vet, he followed an Ohio regiment to Nash
vile, at that time the seat of war in the West.
On the fourth of July following, he enlisted
in the Twenty-second Michigan regiment and
took part in all its campaigns down to tie
bloody engagement at Chickamauga. His her
oism in the last mentioned battle brought hIm
to the notice of Gen. ROsecranS, who, with
other deserved honors, promoted him to the
rank of sergeant. A complete outft.for the
infantile orderly was forwarded to General
Thomas headquarters by sone citizens of
Cincinnati, and its presentation was the oe-
casion of the following pleasant sketch by a
correspondent from that city: . a. ...
"Of course you remember the story of little
JOHNNY Glen, the motherless atom OF drum
mer boy, aged ten,' who strayed away from
Newark, Ohio; and the first we knew of him,
though small enough to live in drum, he
was beating the long rol foI the Twenty
second Michigan. AT Chickamauga he filled
the office Of marker carrying the gudon
whereby they form the lines; the duty having
a counterpart in the surveyors more peaceful
calling, in the hagman who flutters the red
signal along the metes and bounds. On Sun
day of the battle, the little fellows occupation
gone, he picked up gun that had fallen from
some dying hand, provided himself with am
unition. and began putting in the periods
quite on b. own account, blazing away close
to the ground, like fite fly in the grass
Late in the waning of day, the waif lett al
most alone in the whirl OF the battle, a rebel
colonel dashed up, and looking down, ordered
him to surrender. Surrender he shouted,
you little rascal" The words were hardly
out of his mouth when Johnny brought his
piece to order arms" and as his hand slipped
down to the hammer, he pressed it back,
swung up the gun to the position of charge
bayonet,' and as the officer raised bis saber to
strike the piece aside, the glancng barrel
lifted into range, and the proud colonel tum-
bled from his horse, his lips fresh stained
with the syllable of vile reproach he had flung
on a mother grave in the hearing OF her
child s...r..i ...T, 5........-.. ...
A few swift moments licked ON by musket
shots, and the tiny gunner was swept up at a
rebel swoop, and borne away prisoner.
Soldiers bigger but not better, were taken
with him, only to be washed back again by a
surge of federal troops, and the prisoner OF
thirty minutes was again John Glen sol
ours,' and General Rosecrans made him a
| sergeant, and the stripes of rank covered him
| all over, like mouse in a harness, and the
| daughter of Secretary Chase presented him a
| silver medal appropriately inscribed, which he
worthily wears, a royal order of honor, upon
| his lett breast; and all men conspire to spoil
| him but Stree few ladies' can get at him here,
perhaps he may yet be saved. b'.a q '
But what about last night? Well, like
Flora McFlimsey. the Sergeant "had nothing
to wear" the clothing in the wardrobe OF 10y
al livery was not at all like Desdemona's
handkerchief, "too little," but like the gar
ments of the man who roorned month over
bakers oven, a world too wide;;" and SC
Miss Babcock, of the Sanitary Commission
suggested to a resident of your city that uni
form for the little orderly would be acceptible.
Mr. Wade and other gentlemen of the Sher-
man Honse ordered it; Messrs. A. ID. Fits
worth & Co. made it, Chaplain Raymond
| brought it, Miss Babcoek presented it, and
Johnny put it on. Chaplain Raymond, of the
| Fifty first ninois-by-the-by most earnest
and efficient officer-accOmpanied the gift
with exceedingly appropriate suggestions, and
advice. This morning L happened at head
quarters Just as the belted armed sergeant
was booted and spurred and ready to ride
| Resplendent in his elegant uniform, rigged
| cap-a-pi9, modest, frank, with clear eye ant
| a manly face, he looked more like fancy pic
| ture than living thing. Said he to the chap
lain: '.You captured me by surprise, yester
day." He is going on thirteen. as our grand
| mother used to say, but he would be no mon
ster if we called HIM nine. Think of "a sixty
three pound sergeant-fancy handful of {
hero, and then read the Arabian Nights and
believe them. 'Long live the little Orderly !!
III. one particular the above is incorrect. Glen
was not really taken prisoner at Chickmauga
| While his regiment was being marched to tn
rear by one rebel it was fired on by another
Glenn, dropping as if shot, lay still until thu
rebels had moved of, then travelled to Chat
tanooga during the night, he was mustered
| out of the service by order of the Secretary o
War; at Atlanta, Ca, September II, 1864. HI
has been attending school at Indianapolis TO
| the last three years, at the suggestion, and w
| believe at the charge, of General Thomas, who
seems to have taken special and fraterna
interest in his welfaIe. " ....-.
"The letters from the great to the little he
| ro of Chickamauga are semi-monthly, and, a
might be expected, are models of simplicity
| The last one, dated at San Francisco, close
with these words ;-'Remember that modest,
and self-denial are among the best the vir
tues .aIrttE
| "The recent reunion of the Eighteenth regi
/ meDI DrouSht out dli seneCuOOO ioiduHS W vi
| little sergeant, which we do not remembe
having seen in print. While the Eighteenth
and Twenty-second were lying in fro1t o
Nashville, very strict orders were issue
against foraging Impelled by hunger, how
ever, Johnny made a clande tine rad on
herd of swine, and just as he had ibrough
down the last one hewas confronted by Cole
mel Doolittle of the Eighteenth. Don't 20
know" demanded the stern disciplinarial
ot,s Il.
cool response, but can't allow hogs to bit
me, you know As it was clearly case
self defence, the offender escaped with Sigh
Ieprimand. -7-al.. 1a q ir.t 49,.
!" ohnny now holds an appointment to Yves
Point, and intends to avail himself Of it mex
June. He is no longer AN atom of a drum
mer,' but promising student, five feet one
/ eighth OF an inch in hight, just an eighth NOR
than is required Tor admission to West Poin