Johnnie Clem by Annie Wittenmyer
Johnnie Clem of Newark, Ohio, runs away before age ten to become a drummer boy in the Union army. After briefly joining the Twenty-fourth Ohio, he enters the Twenty-second Michigan, wins the affection of its men, and serves as a volunteer until he is mustered in. At Shiloh, shell fire destroys his drum, earning him the name “Johnnie Shiloh.” He later serves as a marker and soldier, kills a rebel colonel during the retreat at Chattanooga by feigning surrender, and escapes after falling among a volley as if dead. Wounded at Chickamauga and captured while bringing up supplies from Bridgeport, he is stripped of his possessions and starved before exchange. Though only in his twelfth year, he returns home frail and ragged after about two years away. He later serves on General Thomas’s staff, is wounded when a ball kills his pony near Atlanta, and is made a sergeant and attached to Army of the Cumberland headquarters. Nettie M. Chase gives him a silver medal. After the war, he studies at West Point, receives a lieutenant’s commission from General Grant, and becomes captain of the twenty-fourth U. S. Infantry at Columbus, Ohio.
By Annie Wittenmyer · First published 1895 · Genre: Biography, Civil War History, Military Biography · 1,298 words
First lines
THE DRUMMER BOY OF SHILOH AND THE BOY HERO OF CHICKAMAUGA, CHATTANOOGA.
Johnnie Clem, who lived at Newark, Ohio, was perhaps the youngest and smallest recruit in the Union Army. The army historian, Lossing, says that he was probably the youngest person who ever bore arms in battle.
Similar titles
- Fred D Grant The Brave Orderly At Vicksburg by Annie Wittenmyer
- Nelson England Expects That Every Man Will Do His Duty by George Griffith
- A Painful Accident by Annie Wittenmyer
- How Mother Bickerdyke Cut Red Tape by Annie Wittenmyer
- The First Soldiers Wounded In The Civil War by Annie Wittenmyer
- A Visit To Parson Brownlow by Annie Wittenmyer
Genres
- Biography — The work recounts the life, military service, injuries, captivity, and later career of John Winton Clem in a factual biographical sketch.
- Civil War History — Its central subject is Clem's participation in the Union Army during major American Civil War campaigns and battles, including Shiloh, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, and Atlanta.
- Military Biography — The narrative emphasizes Clem's enlistment, regiment, battlefield duties, promotions, decorations, and continuing Army career.
- Juvenile Biography — The focus on a child soldier, clear heroic episodes, and morally uplifting presentation make it particularly suited to young readers.
Tags
American Civil War · Union Army · child soldier · drummer boy · boy hero · military biography · heroic anecdote · Civil War youth · Ohio · Army of the Cumberland · Twenty-second Michigan Infantry · Battle of Shiloh
What this Textopian page supports
Johnnie Clem is listed on Textopian as an article by Annie Wittenmyer, dated 1895 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Article
- Author: Annie Wittenmyer
- Date: 1895 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Biography, Civil War History, Military Biography, Juvenile Biography, War Nonfiction
- Length: 1,298 words
- Structure: 1 section, 26 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Standard (8th-9th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for Johnnie Clem by Annie Wittenmyer
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph