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A Brave Drummer Boy.Orion P. Howe, of Waukegan, 111., drummer boy to the Fifty-Fifth Volunteers of that State, has just been appointed to fill a vacancy in the Naval School at Newport. The following extract from a letter written by Maj. Gen. Sherman to Secretary Stanton, detailing an incident which occurred during the assault upon the rebel works at Vicksburg, on May 19, doubtless secures the noble boy’s promotion:“When the assault was at its height on the 19th of May, and I was in front near the road which formed my line of attack, this young lad came up to mo, wounded and bleeding, with a good healthy boy’s cry, “Gen. Sherman, send some cartridges to Col. Malmborg; the men arenearly all out.” “ What is the matter, my boy J”“They shot mo In the leg, sir, but I can go to the hospital. Send the cartridges right away.” Even whore we stood the shot fell thick, and Itolcl him to go to the rear at once, I would attend to the cartridges, and off he limped. Just before ho disappeared on the hill he turned and called as loud as he could, “ Calibre 54.” I have not -seen the lad since, and his Colonel, Malmborg, on inquiry, gives me his address as above, and says he is a bright, intelligent boy, with a fair preliminary education.What arrested my attention then was, and what renewed my memory of the fact now is, that one so young, carrying a musket-bull wound through his leg, should have found his way to me on that fatal spot, and delivered his message, not forgetting the very important part even of the calibre of his musket, 54, which you know , is an unusual one.I’ll warrant that the boy has ill him the ele- I ments of a man, and I commend him t« the Gov- 1 eminent as one worthy the fostering care of some one of its national institutions.”
Newspaper Details
Alexandria Soldiers Journal
Alexandria, Virginia, US
Wed, May 11, 1864
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
TX, USA 11 Feb 2019
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