The Celina Democrat. (Celina, O. [Ohio]) 1895-1921, 1913-01-24
g9l55. WAR
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ONE OLD SOLDIER REMAINS
Colonel John Lincoln clem' Who In
listed at Age Of Ten Years,
Stlll in Service.
my DR. ANDERs poEl

ny DIR. ANDERs poE)
More than 100000 men took part
on the side Of the north In the great
American Civil war from 1861 te
| 1865. They are all now out OF actlVa
service. having fallen before the age
limit. One only Is left and that one
is Col John Lincoln Glenn, trst guar
termaster Of the central division oi
the United States army, with hea1
/ quarters at Chicago.
The American Civil war has been
called a "boy.war," on account OF the
| extraordinary number ofEouths, rang
/ ing in ages from fourteen TO twenty
years, that had Joined the army vi
/ an these Johnny" Clem was the
Youngest, lie was ten years old when
he left HIS home IN Newark, o. ana
presented himself for service as
drummer boy He was so little that
he was chased away, and was given
/ boy on the ear when he came back
home. But Johnny would not stay
away. He always came back, and IN
| tho bloody battle Of Shiloh |e hnd
him as drummer boy at the front OF
/ the regiment -- the Twenty-secop"
Michigan.
Then took place the battle Of Chick
amauga, one of tho bloodiest battles
OF history.
It was here that the Norwegian
regiment, the Fifteenth Wisconsin OF
which all Norwegians in America are
proud, was almost completely ami
hilated. and its leader, Col. Hans
Hegg (born in Lier, Norway found
a hero's death. On the day following
he was to have been promoted to tho
post Of brigadler general.
Here Johnny Glen was at the front
as usual, and got the name, the Drum
mer Boy Of Chickamauga," a name by
which he is known up to the present
day. A shell struck the drum from
his hands, shattering It, and Johnny
sat down and cried. But he could not
long sit quiet, while the battle was
going on all around him, so he TOOK
a gun from a dead soldier and COM
menced firing. On came the Confed-
crates storming, and when they saw
Johnny Glen with the gun they burst
out laughing, but Johnny took aim ana
killed the leader. They took Johnny
Glenn and gave him a spanking put
him on horseback and rode off with
him. Like a prairie fire the news
spread that Johnny was captured, and
the whole regiment started in pur-
suit, soon coming back carrying John
ny with them in triumph. The battle
was won, and when the troops we're
Inspected, the general called Johnny
and asked him what had become or
his drum. Johnny told him 1t had
been struck by a shell. Johnny '
said the general, "any one who can
not take care of his drum cannot be
a drummer any longer" Johnny
cried. But" added the general
from now on you will be sergeant
with the regiment"
Johnny went through the whole
war and the day peace was concluded
he looked upon as q dreary day. he
was veteran" with medals and hon.
prary diplomas when he was fourteen
years old.
I visited Colonel Glenn at his Office
and presented myself as the corre-
spondent of the Aftenposten Chris
tiania. Norway. The colonel Is
courteous and genial. He is broad
shouldered and we'll proportioned.
with sprinkling of gray and charm
ing smile.
"Yes, I am the last Of the veterans
said he. 81 am now sixty-one years
old, and in three years I shall also
fall before the age limit.
"Yes. l remember we'll Col Hans
Hegg. He was the leader of the Nor
wegians and their ideal. He was held
In high esteem and so was the FIJI
teenth Wisconsin While only a boy
at that time l remember 1t as II II
was yesterday. They went into the
battle as to a play, and very few came
back. The Fifteenth Wisconsin
marched in front, exposed to the
murderous fire, and thus bore the
brunt of the battle"
l then asked II he would give me
message for the land Of Colonel Hegg.
whereupon he sat down and wrote the
following greeting to Norway:
'Tt recalls to my memory the days
of my youth when l think OF the
brave Norwegian, Hans Hegg Of the
Fifteenth Wisconsin regiment, and
his honorable death at Chickamauga-
He would no doubt have been pro-
NOTED the day following If he had not
found heros death. My greeting to
our friends, the Norwegian nation.
who has given so many brave Amer
lean citizans, our very best.
~Most respectfully,