The Washington herald., 1913-03-09
SERGEANT AT AGE OF TWELVE, .DRUMMER
BOY OF CHICKAMAUGA," TELLS STORY
Col Johnny Glen, Who Joined Union Army
When Twelve Years Old, Talks About
His Experiences in War Between.
the North and South.
By JAMES ID. MORROW.

tie Of Chickamauga saved Johnny Glenn
He was a reckless little soldier in his
conduct when the firing began. Hs
drank and he gambled, though he wa:
only twelve years old Yet he was q
brave and seasoned warrior, even a sa
Eacious child of thunder, as the follow.
ing tale will show.
Johnny shot a man at Chickamauea
bringing him from his horse, for h.
was a colonel, prone upon the ground
II was a hand-to-hand encounter Gen
Thomas made Johnny sergeant
Thereafter Johnny was both an orderly
to the Rock of Chickamauga" and his
son. Thus was Johnny saved. Thomas
led him out of the ways of battling men;
he is now a member of the Episcopal
Church.
The same Johnny Glenn has become
Col John Lincoln CIem, United States
Army, low of voice. modest almost shy,
when speaking, - himself and pleasant
faced He is the only civil war veteran
on the active list. All the rest have
gone TO the grave or into retirement.
1hslnterested persons say that he should
have been brigadier general years ago.
1t is Johnny Glen, the Drummer Boy
this story is concerned. Military histo-
rians declare that he is probably the
Youngest soldier who ever bore arms
In the wars between civilized men. He
was twelve and weighed sixty-three
pounds on the day he shot the colonel,
but he had Joined the army at the age of
ten.
Was Wounded and Taken Prisoner.
When he was not beating the long
roH' OH his drum, Johnny Glenn was
fighting like Il private in the thick of
battle. His drum was smashed by a
piece Of shell at Shiloh: 4 bullet III
Georgia cut "a permanent nick in the rim
OF his right ear; his horse, or pony,
rather, was killed under him in front
O: Atlanta Gen. Joe" Wheeler made
him prisoner near Chattanooga. Three
bullets went through his cap Immediately
following his main exploit at Chicka-
mauGa. He spent eight years in the
artillery after the close of the war. Since
then he has been quartermaster, and
has performed duty in Porto Rico and
the Philippines. He was recently ordered
here from the West. Col. Clem is not a
talking man, nor is he ready of pen out
side his regular business. BY dint of
hard questioning, ] got the strange facts
VI HIS me dS Il DON SOIulef. InIl now
only meager accounts OF his experiences
have ever been published.
Il lived at Newark, Ohio, and was GO
ing to school, he said, when the war
came on. Orators declared that the coun-
try Was on the brink of ruin, which was
true. | heard their flights of eloquence
and also the music OF the fife and drum
down at the recruiting office. That was
in the spring of 1s6l My tenth birthday
ht. ,,f II ba Am
Matters then clear III my mind may have
grown somewhat haZy after so many
y cars have passed. but I think I under
stood the feeling of the time. and that
Was actually ard sensibly patriotic.
Ny mother was dead. and the situation
81 home WAS changed after my father
married again.
Johnny Runs Away from Home.
The Third Ohio Volunteer Infantry
went into camp at Newark. while the
regiment WAS being filled with recruits
rom the neighhOriug country. l hung
around the tents of the soldiers, whose
acquaintance l cultivated. and one day
asked Capt. McDougal. whom 1 knew, to
take me along as drummer boy. He
refused, of course. but l boarded the
train when the rt Giment went away. and
that night was in camp at Cincinnati.
The soldiers, most of whom were only
boys themselves. saw that l had enough
to eat and a place to sleep at night. l
learned to beat the long roll and other
wise perform on a drum. but the Third
Regiment--my own folks. l considered
officially to accept the ten
der of my services. Nevertheless. 1 re-
lnained in the camp.
I'm the meanwhile, my father learned
of my whereabouts, and came after me. |
was rebellious internally. but had to
temporarily to higher author
Ity. MY father put mo in a seat of a
rar at the railway station, and then went
forward TO tax with some men. He was
still talking when the train began to !
move. I dashed to the other end of the |
rar and jumped off. Well. my father did !
rot come back again. He wrote me a |
letter more than two years later saying |
that he had read of me in connection |
with some of the incidents of the battle I
nf Chickamauga. Until then he hadn't !
known what had become of his oldest !
pffspring He gave me his blessing. and !
said might stay in the army as long as
wanted TO.
I got out of the railway station as !
quickly as possible, looking around as
I ran TO see II 1 were pursued. Obvious !
" the Third Ohio. full OF Newark men, |
was no place for boy whose father |
wanted him to stay at home and go TO |
school. So I informally attached myself !
to the Twenty-second Michigan Infantry. !
Learned to Drum and Shoot.
The soldiers fed and encouraged me |
in the game spirit. suppose, that causes |
sailors to pick up parrots, monkeys and |
rilIy-goats. Officers and men gave me |
spending money on payday and I in |
urn tried to be useful was a Joke, |
I dare say, to every one. But 1 was |
desperately in earnest and accompanied |
he Twenty-second to Kentucky. 1 |
irummed when 1 could. learned to shoot
nlusket and in May, 1862 was accepted |
md given the oath that made me A
,eaI soldier. My pay was s13 month
Drummer boys during a battle help carry |
he wounded back from the firing line. I
vas too small for such work. Moreover,
wanted to fight. A regulation musket,
therefore,. was shortened in the barrel
md stock for my use and then went
With the men into all their battles.
81 was under fire the first time at |
shiloh. The Confederates suddenly at
acked us while We were in camp and
sleep. We were not veterans and were
ratified. ! heard the first
hots and. jumping out of bed, beat the
long roll calling our men to arms. A
,iece OF shell smashed my drum and
or some time after that I was nick
Iamed Johnny Shiloh. / was praised |
,ecause I stood my ground and didn't
un. The other drummer boys disap-
feared when the Confederates close at |
land, began shooting. I wanted to re- |
reat myself but I thought the men
would laugh at me and ! remained at
ny post though / wished l were back
/ my home in Ohio. Shiloh was a bloody
attle. We lost nearly 1900 men. 100
rrh kiflaI |