In May 1861, 9-year-old John Lincoln "Johnny" Klemm ran away from his home in Newark, Ohio and joined the Union Army, but found that the army commander was unwilling to sign up for enlistment because he was a 9-year-old boy.
The 3rd Ohio Regiment turned him down, telling him they would "not recruit infants." Clem next tried the 22nd Michigan Regiment, and its commander said the same. The determined sit-boy was given the role of drummer after the regiment and was allowed to stay. Although still not regularly enlisted, he performed camp duties and received a soldier's pay of $13 a month, which was collected and donated by regimental officers.
The following April at Shiloh, Clem's drum was smashed by an artillery round and he became minor news as "Johnny Shiloh, the Littlest Drummer". A year later, at the Battle of Chickamauga, he marched to the front with an artillery piece, using trenches cut to his size. During one Union retreat, Clem ran up to a Confederate officer following the cannon and yelled, "Surrender you little Yankee!" shouted. Johnny shot him dead. Clem gained national attention and the nickname "Drummer Boy of Chickamauga".
Clem remained with the army during the war, serving as a messenger and was wounded twice. Between Shiloh and Chickamauga he entered regular service, began to draw his own pay, and was soon promoted to the rank of sergeant. He is 12 years old. After the Civil War, he tried to enter West Point, but was rejected because of his poor education. His commanding general at Shiloh was President Ulysses S. On December 18, 1871, after a personal appeal to Grant, he won a commission as 2nd lieutenant in the regular army, and in 1903 he was promoted to colonel and served as assistant quartermaster general. He retired from the army as a Major General in 1916 after an impressive 55 years of service.
General Klemm died on May 13, 1937 in San Antonio, Texas. His 86th birthday is exactly 3 months away. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery.
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