The Little Drummer Boy . . . General

We often say that truth is stranger than fiction. We say that because, well, it’s true.

If someone told you that a lad had (1) run away from home to join the Army at age 9; (2) was a Sergeant at age 12; (3) by age 13 was a twice-wounded, exchanged POW, and had been discharged; (4) made the Army his career; and (5) retired as a General . . . well, you’d probably accuse the person telling you that of telling tall tales, or talking about some third-world country. Or maybe engaging in an episode of “better living through recreational chemistry.” (smile)

Problem is, they’d be talking about US history. They’d be talking about John Lincoln Clem.

They’d also be telling the truth.

. . .

John Joseph Klem was born in Ohio in August 1851. (He later adopted the spelling “Clem” for his last name; as a youth, he adopted the middle name “Lincoln” in place of his given middle name Joseph). When he was 9, his mother died.

Clem’s earliest military history is not well documented. However, generally accepted history is it that he ran away from home at age 9 after his mother’s death and attempted to join multiple Union regiments forming after the outbreak of the Civil War. Some research casts doubts on this, and indicates he actually left home a year or two later.

Clem’s earliest documented service was with the 22nd Michigan. He was initially rejected by the 22nd Michigan as well, due to his young age and small size. However, accepted history is that Clem followed the regiment anyway; after a time, the regiment’s officers adopted him as mascot and drummer boy, chipping in to give him a “regular soldier’s” pay. After a time (in May, 1863), Clem was allowed to formally enlist – at age 12.

Though often rumored to have served at the Battle of Shiloh and been the “Johnny Shiloh” of Ray Bradbury short-story and Disney movie fame, the former claim appears almost certainly apocryphal. The 22nd Michigan, with whom Clem did serve, was not at Shiloh. However, it appears that Clem’s service at Chickamauga was indeed the inspiration for the Civil War song “The Drummer Boy of Shiloh”, which was first published after Chickamauga and which doubtless inspired Bradbury’s story and the Disney movie.

Clem is documented to have served at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863. At Chickamauga, Clem did more than merely beat a drum. During the Union retreat, Clem is reported to have served with an artillery caisson withdrawing from the battlefield. That caisson was reportedly intercepted by a Confederate Colonel, who demanded Clem surrender. Accounts state that Clem – using a musket with a stock shortened so that he could carry it properly – shot the Confederate Colonel vice surrendering, and escaped with the caisson.

Though later research has cast some doubt on the “shot a Confederate Colonel” portion of this account – Confederate records do not show a Colonel to have been wounded at Chickamauga – the Union Army accepted the story at the time. Clem was promoted to Sergeant not long afterwards, becoming the youngest NCO in Army history (age 12). He was also later decorated for his actions at Chickamauga.

Clem was taken prisoner in October 1963 while serving as a train guard. (Other accounts indicate he was taken prisoner during the latter stages of Chickamauga.) He was returned to Union control as part of a prisoner exchange not long afterwards; he resumed service with Union forces of the Army of the Cumberland, serving in multiple battles as a mounted orderly. While serving, Clem was wounded twice. In September, 1864, he was discharged.

After the Civil War, Clem completed high school. He applied for admission to West Point, but failed the entrance exam and was refused admission. Almost certainly because of his well-known wartime record, President Grant appointed Clem a Second Lieutenant in 1871. While the appointment may have been political, it turned out to be an excellent move on Grant’s part.

As a Lieutenant, Clem served initially with the 24th US Infantry. He later attended artillery school, then was transferred to the Army’s Quartermaster Department in 1875. He was to remain a Quartermaster officer the remainder of his career.

Clem retired from active duty on 13 August 1915 – on reaching the Army’s mandatory retirement age of 64. He’d attained the rank of Colonel. As was customary for retiring Civil War veterans who had achieved that rank, he was promoted to Brigadier General on retirement – indeed, Clem was the last Civil War veteran to serve on active duty. A bit over a year later, he received a promotion on the retired list to Major General.

Clem lived more than two decades after his retirement from the Army. Just before World War II, a ship was named after him – the USAT (later USAHS) John L. Clem.

Clem died on May 13, 1937 – roughly seventy-six years after he’d reportedly run away from home to join the Army. He is buried at Arlington National Cemetery.

Drummer boy at Chickamauga. WIA twice, without permanent disability. POW. Youngest NCO in Army history. Direct commissioned by the President. Last Civil War veteran to serve on active duty. Retired a General.  Ship named in his honor.

Yes, I’d certainly call that the proverbial “life well-lived”. We all should be so lucky.

Rest in peace, General Clem. Rest in peace.

 

Sources:

http://www.civilwar.org/education/history/biographies/john-clem.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Clem
http://www.arlingtoncemetery.net/jlclem.htm
http://www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Johnny_Klem
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/mcnamarasblog/2011/09/johnny-clem-%E2%80%9Cthe-drummer-boy-of-chickamauga%E2%80%9D.html
http://histclo.com/bio/c/bio-clem.html
http://www.old-picture.com/defining-moments/Boy-Soldier.htm
http://www.gacivilwar.org/story/john-lincoln-clem-an-american-legend
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USAT_John_L._Clem

Category: Big Army, Historical, Real Soldiers