Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1901-10-12

Drummer B oy
of Shiloh the
brave boy who led the attack at that
battle, saved his captains life, and cap
tured Confederate colonel. 1t all hap
pened in about sixty seconds on the ia
nous field of Shiloh-a fierce charge of
the Thirtieth Indiana Volunteer Skin
mishers on the flank of a Southern bat
terry. Will Mershon was the trumpeter
detailed from the drum corps, and
rushing through a dense underbrush
came out few feet ahead of the COM
pany. The bOyish heart stood still as
he found himself in the presence of a
Confederate colonel, who was on horse
back, accommodating the field. He in
stantly covered the boy with his re-
volver and commanded him to surren-
der. Mershon threw up his hands,
showing he was unarmed.
AT this instant Mershon's captain
sprang from the thicket and the Con-
federate, thinking the boy was weapon
less, Immediately covered the Federal
officer. But as he made the movement
Mershon drew revolver from his peck
ct and got the drop on the colonel.
1t was a dramatic tableau, and the
boys in blue, who at that moment
swung into line, rolled on the ground
and kicked up their heels in an ecstasy
of delight as the youthful trumpeter
ordered the gray-headed officer to sur
obeyed, and the captain ordered him
taken to the rear. The charge was con-
tinued and the battery captured a lieu
tenant colonel, a major, and the colonel
being prisoners.
But Mershon received injuries that
eventually put him on the veteran re-
serve corps, as about 3 o'clock in the
afternoon a shell exploded on the
ground to his right. He threw himself
on his face and escaped being torn to
pieces, though he was seriously injured
on his hip and spine =
That night as the soldiers gathered
around the camp fire, the story was
told Of the plucky little bugler's being
q prisoner for half minute and then
saving his captains life by capturing
his captor. In honor Of his extraor-
binary exploits he was nicknamed the
Drummer Boy of Shiloh" and when
he won the reputation of being the
finest drummer in Uncle Sans service,
he bore no other name in the Army of
the Cumberland and the Army of the
Tennessee.
In June, 1864, Mershon was sent to
Chicago and attached to the Fifteenth
Volunteer Relief Corps as drum major
at Camp Douglas, a position which he
held for year. DR.. George f. Root,
the composer, interviewed him on the
incident and wrote "The Drummer Boy
of Shiloh song that was popular for
many years. The plates were burned
in the great Chicago fire, and it is now
out of print.
Prof. Mershon was one of the guards
of honor when President Lincoln's body
lay in state in Springfield. Naturally,
his fame as a drummer brought him
into intimate relations with many
prominent officers, with whom he was
a great favorite. He served as drum
Infantry from Sept. 13, 1861, to June
IA, 1864, and from June IA to Nov. II,
1865, in the veterans reserve.
Mr. Mershon is a musical genius, and
not only juggles with drumsticks, but
is a good vocalist and a performer on
every instrument from a piccolo to a
pipe organ. When he was 16 he grad
uated in piano and harmony under
Prot. Struby, Of Leipzig. Later he
graduated In band and string instru-
ments under Prof. Rowden, of Lovelon.
At 20 he was leader of the Fifteenth
at q was a member of the celebrated
concert party-the Alleghanians. He
has filed the chair of music in the
University of Colorado, also Lane Uni
versity, Kansas and Greer College, ILL.,,
and is now at the head of the school of
music in Marion, Ind.
Prof. Mershon has the most remark
able drum in the world-a rosewood
shell, with ebony hoops bound with
silver, the whole being beautifully in
laid The centerpieces represent all
manner of instruments, flowers and
vines, worked out in different kinds Of
woods, there being 10000 pieces. A
solid silver shield is engraved:
Presented to W. II. Mershon, 1.-THE
Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by his old
regiment, the Thirtieth Indiana Volun-
teer Infantry, Fort Wayne, Ind, May
20, 1895"
At concert given in Chicago by the
Ladies' Soldier Aid Society in the win
ter of 1865, Prof. Mershon played his
first match with Maj. billie" Nevins,
and as winner was awarded a pair of
rosewood, silver mounted, ivory headed
drumsticks. Soon after the match"
Col. ]. R. Strong presented him with a
fine silver drum, which, to Prof. Mer-
shon's unspeakable rorrow, was stolen
from his tent at Springfield, when he
was guarding Lincoln's tomb.