New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-08-26
THE DRUMMER BOY At VICKsBURG

CHAT WITH CARLETON ABOUT BIS POEM.
"Willr Carleton, the farm poet, was at tho
office of Harper Brothers yesterday. He has recently
had shaved OF the heavy gray ana black goatee which
he wore for long time and looks ten years younger
than before the last Hapes Weekly he publisheds
poem entitled, Calbre Fiftyfour," which was acton
panied by full page illustration On last Sunday s
sun reprinted this poem putting with 1t another ent
tied Before vicksburg stating that was written on
Nav 10 1853 and taken from the scrap book OF Philip
Corell and that its author and the publication In which
AZ appearsd were unknown. Both poems were fouLded
on "a similar incident.
"I never saw the poem entitled Before vcksburs
until to-day" MIR. Carleton remarked. ABOUT year
a,o heard Corporal Tanner lecture in Brooklyn and 10
related the incident which both poems are foun'ed
II WAS the first time heard the incident Even
II were not I and everybody have q right to compose
poetry upon It, There were hundreds Of poems on Gen
era Grant and there have been thousands on such su
ects as clouds sunsets, tho weather. etc.. and never
heard any object to OF charge up condolences Ios
treatment the subject differs radically In the tw0
poeius Calibre Fifty four is feature OF my poen
aud ia mentioned times IT. the expression occurs
hut once n the other My soldier boy declined 10 80
the rear but the anonymous authors boy replies
oh shall easily lind the rear soc no possible
chance to charge plagiarism either directly or indirectly
am glad to see old poem reproduced. Had 1t beea
in nv possession should not have written Calbfs
Fifty-four' differently than 1t now reads"
In The commercial Advertiser OF last evening Dr. = b.
wolfe Of this city, states the poem Before Yss
burg was written By George III. Boxer. ON Aprh =
1864. IL was frequently recited by James f. Mundseh
i'm camp and OH the lecture platform for the benen1
the Sanitary Commission. 1t was he says publisheaw
j. r. Lippncott Brother during 1865, IL PATRIOTISM,
In Poetry aud Prose-" selections from Murdoehs isa
ings and lectures DIR. Wolfe quotes letter uol
General sherman to secretary Stanton which patness
caly relatos the incident concerning the drummer v
whom, Boxer and Carleton have placed Ia poetic sen5
The lad MAS Arion p. Howe, Of waukesan. III u W.
55th illinois, lie General Sherman Of the Iruns
when the assault on Vicksburg was at Us heisass
wounded and bleeding. He shouted In healthy o0'
voice a.. coonol
Mambory the men are nearly ali OUT ,,.~.,
What the matter, my boy q" asked the hs,.
They shot In tue leg, sir but can 20 W s,lSe
pital" As he lmped away through the tncs ,snnrS
shot he turned around aud called out loudly " az.
54" General Sherman says: what arressea uy u
tention then was-and what removed my moos
the fact isthat one so young catrylng sy 70 ne
ball through his leg should have found MS WAY cr
on that fatal spot aud delivered his MESSAGE, nv Of
getting the very important part even Oh sno ana
his misket54-whch, you know 10 an unusus prssdsut
ON General sherman's recommendation Ia 1scnool
Lincoln appoint ted the drummer boy " the NaSs
Mt Newport