{"id":190692,"date":"2023-06-10T23:18:48","date_gmt":"2023-06-11T03:18:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.gunsamerica.com\/digest\/?p=169430"},"modified":"2023-06-10T23:18:48","modified_gmt":"2023-10-03T02:29:59","slug":"child-soldiers-the-tale-of-johnny-clem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/child-soldiers-the-tale-of-johnny-clem\/","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Dabbs – Child Soldiers: The Tale of Johnny Clem"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"\"
Child soldiers are a terribly unfortunate side effect of modern nihilistic society. However, this sordid practice goes way back.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Child soldiers are a blight in low-rent hotspots around the globe. Kids lack judgment, and all little boys are stupid. That\u2019s why, in most civilized locales, you have to be a certain age to purchase alcohol or a gun. However, the world has no shortage of heartless monsters more than willing to kit out children to go forth and kill on an industrial scale. The world rightfully reviles those leaders and those nations that practice such ghastly stuff. However, there was a time when the use of child soldiers was fairly widespread in the United States. One of the most compelling examples was that of Johnny Clem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
I Googled “9-year-old boy” and got this. It is tough to imagine sending such as this off to war.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Backstory of Johnny Clem<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Johnny Clem was born on August 13, 1851. In short order, war clouds were building on the horizon, but Clem had little to fear. He was just a kid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Johnny\u2019s parents were Roman and Magdalene Klem. Magdalene was killed in a horrible train accident when young Johnny was only 9. Soon thereafter, in 1861, the little man ran away from home and tried to join the Union Army to fight against the South. He attempted to enlist in both the 3rd Ohio Infantry and the 22nd Michigan, but these two organizations rightfully turned him down due to his young age. However, Clem crept in among the supply trains for the 22nd Michigan and found his war anyway.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Johnny
Johnny Clem began the war as a mascot of sorts. He ended the war a warrior.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Johnny Clem’s Career Begins<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once the troops realized the young man was there to stay the unit officers took up a monthly collection to cover his Army wages of $13 per month. Two years later at age 11, Johnny Clem was allowed to formally enlist in the Union Army. At a loss as to exactly what to do with an 11-year-old in an active war zone, the 22d Michigan commanders made him the drummer boy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Johnny
These little guys are undeniably cute, but sending them into combat is just viscerally wrong.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Serving as drummer boy back during the American Civil War was actually quite a hazardous experience. The drumbeat helped organize, control, and reassure period infantry formations. However, by definition, the drummer needed to be close to the front line for these communications to be effective. This put these young kids at immense risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Don\u2019t Believe Everything You Read<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
I do so love this place.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Whether it be here or any popular news source, take everything you read with a grain of salt. I do the best I can to adequately research my projects in this venue. However, as the comments will attest, I do not infrequently fumble the details. Having my prose nitpicked in retrospect is honestly half the fun of writing this stuff for me. I do so love the GunsAmerica comments section.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
This is my favorite picture to come out of the war in Ukraine. However, everything is propaganda.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

During the American Civil War, like all wars, propaganda played an outsized role. If you judged the war in Ukraine by YouTube videos the mighty Russian Army would have run out of tanks months ago. Everybody has an agenda.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Johnny
Young Johnny Clem actually became fairly famous during the American Civil War.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

History has come to refer to John Clem as \u201cJohnny Shiloh.\u201d The story goes that little Johnny served as a drummer boy for the 22nd Michigan during the Battle of Shiloh in Mississippi in 1862. The tale was that a piece of shrapnel punched through the little man\u2019s drum, rendering him unconscious and alone on the battlefield. His mates purportedly later found him and rescued him from the carnage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
In the case of Johnny Clem, the truth was more compelling than the fiction.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

That\u2019s a compelling tale, to be sure. It\u2019s just likely not true. Clem\u2019s regiment wasn\u2019t mustered until four months after the guns fell silent at Shiloh. It appears the whole story was probably fabricated based upon a popular song of the day written by William S. Hays titled, \u201cThe Drummer Boy of Shiloh.\u201d As I said, don\u2019t believe everything you read.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Little Drummer Boy Really Does Go to War<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Johnny
A benevolent Yankee tailor custom-produced a miniature one-off uniform for the little war hero.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Though Johnny Clem likely did not serve at Shiloh, he definitely saw more than his share of war. At the bloody Battle for Chickamauga, Clem rode to the battlefield atop an artillery caisson and wielded a miniaturized musket that, though fully operational, was hand-crafted and affectionately presented by his fellow troops. That\u2019s all honestly pretty dark considering the kid was only 11. However, by all accounts, Johnny Clem acquitted himself well in battle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Cartoon
Though the details are indeed disputed, little Johnny Clem did likely shoot a Confederate Colonel during the latter parts of the Battle of Chickamauga.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In one particularly extraordinary feat that was actually fairly well documented, the young man supposedly personally shot a Confederate Colonel with his miniaturized smoke pole when the Southern officer demanded his surrender. His exploits earned him the nom de guerre the \u201cDrummer Boy of Chickamauga,\u201d along with a little notoriety on the home front. As a result, he was actually promoted to Sergeant. This made Johnny Clem the youngest NCO in the history of the United States military.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Johnny
Johnny Clem garnered quite a following on the home front. It didn’t hurt that he was such a photogenic lad.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The details of Clem\u2019s exchange with the Confederate officer were rightfully debated after the dust settled. After all, the story just feels fabricated. However, historians now suspect that the Confederate officer in question was actually Colonel Calvin Walker of the 3rd Tennessee who was indeed wounded toward the end of the fight.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"SGT
Despite his youth, SGT Clem was nonetheless treated like a real soldier on the battlefield.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

In October of 1863 at the age of twelve, SGT Johnny Clem was captured by Confederate forces while pulling duty guarding a train. The rebels took the kid\u2019s uniform, including his cap that sported three bullet holes, something that supposedly upset the young man mightily. At the next reasonable opportunity, Clem was sent back north as part of a prisoner exchange. However, the Rebs did jump on the opportunity to weaponize the event. One Confederate newspaper featured the quote, “What sore straits the Yankees are driven when they have to send their babies out to fight us.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Johnny
Johnny Clem actually hit puberty AFTER he had served at least two years in combat. This shot was taken around 1870.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Clem went on to serve with the Army of the Cumberland throughout multiple campaigns. Most of his later service was spent as a mounted orderly. He was ultimately wounded twice in combat–once in the ear and again in the hip. Johnny Clem, the Drummer Boy of Chickamauga, was formally discharged from Federal service in September of 1864. At the time he weighed 63 pounds.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Gun<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
The American Civil War saw scads of different weapons in action, particularly by the South. However, the most common rifle among Federal formations was the 1861 Springfield.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I have no idea what sort of weapon Clem\u2019s mates cut down for him before Chickamauga. However, it doesn\u2019t take a great deal of imagination to put that together. Little Johnny\u2019s rifle was almost assuredly some variation on the Springfield musket theme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SEE MORE: The Death of Stonewall Jackson: Lee Loses His Strong Right Arm<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"\"
I love this place.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is a splendid little antique mall in my hometown that is awash to its gunwales with ancient china, high mileage furniture, and assorted tedious knick-knacks. Were that all there was to it, a visit to the place with my wife would be unmitigated agony. However, one full corner of the place is devoted to serious man stuff.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
I shot this on my cell phone. Not bad for a modest little antique mall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I have no idea where they get their stock, but there is always an ample supply of vintage swords and antique weapons hanging along the wall. I have actually bought a gun or two there. The neat thing about it, however, is the remarkable variation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The selection at the Mustad Seed waxes and wanes as pieces are sold, but there is almost always something cool to be found there.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There are vintage blunderbusses, beater side-by-side shotguns, and muzzleloading martial arms that date back to the famed British meddling with their colonies. On several occasions, I have seen vintage military weapons that had been cut down or customized with varying degrees of professionalism. Some of them were likely homebuilt pruning jobs, while others might have been undertaken to rectify some sort of distal barrel damage. Regardless, I can certainly imagine what young Clem\u2019s rifle might have looked like. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
The Springfield musket was ubiquitous during the American Civil War. I bought this one at our local antique mall.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

SEE MORE: Johnny Ringo’s Colt SAA Up for Auction!<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The muzzleloading percussion Springfield was the most common Union shoulder weapon of the war. Sporting a .58-caliber bore designed to fire Minie balls, the gun featured a whopping 40-inch rifled barrel and was effective out to 500 yards or more in the hands of a competent marksman. They cost the government $14.93 apiece, and more than a million were built by a variety of contractors. According to the Internet, that\u2019s around $3,365 today, though I suspect that figure lost something in translation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Rest of the Story<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Johnny
President Grant saw to it that John Clem got the opportunity to serve as an officer despite his relative dearth of formal education.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

John Clem finally finished high school in 1870. Though he failed the entrance exam to the US Military Academy, President Grant nonetheless granted him an officer\u2019s commission in the 24th<\/sup> Infantry Regiment. Clem spent his years as a junior officer in the artillery before transferring to the Quartermaster Corps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Colonel
Colonel Clem ended up with a distinguished career in the US Army.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Clem served from Portland to Puerto Rico with many stops in between. As is almost always the case, his level of responsibility increased alongside his rank. When he reached the mandatory retirement age of 64, he served as the chief quartermaster for Fort Sam Houston in Texas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"Major
John Clem was ultimately promoted to Major General after his retirement.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As was typically the custom for Civil War veterans, Colonel Clem was promoted upon his retirement to Brigadier General. In 1916 he was again promoted, while still on the retired list, to Major General. John Clem was the last Civil War veteran on active duty at the time of his retirement. Another Union vet, Peter Conover Hains, returned to active duty in 1917, but he had been retired for a time prior to that.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
By all accounts, John Clem was a pretty good bloke.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Clem was married for 24 years to Anna French, the daughter of a Federal Major General. After her death, he married Bessie Sullivan of San Antonio, Texas. Bessie was herself the daughter of a Confederate veteran. Ever the good-natured soul, in his later years MG Clem described himself as, \u201cthe most united American alive.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"
MG Clem was buried with honors alongside his fellow heroes at Arlington Nation Cemetery. Regardless of your take on the War Between the States, John Clem was a warrior.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Clem fathered three children and eventually died in San Antonio in 1937 at the age of 85. His exploits inspired a 1963 Disney film titled Johnny Shiloh as well as several period songs. From 9-year-old drummer boy to retired Major General, the life and career of little Johnny Clem were unique in the annals of American military lore.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

*** Buy and Sell on GunsAmerica!<\/a> ***<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Child soldiers are a blight in low-rent hotspots around the globe. Kids lack judgment, and all little boys are stupid. That\u2019s why, in most civilized locales, you have to be a certain age to purchase alcohol or a gun. However, the world has no shortage of heartless monsters more than willing to kit out children to go forth and kill on an industrial scale<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":66,"featured_media":169443,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_specdata_upc":"","_specdata_placement":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[7,257,772],"tags":[132,2616,102,752],"featured":[],"hunt365":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-190692","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-gunsamerica-authors","8":"category-historical-guns","9":"category-will-dabbs","10":"tag-buzz","11":"tag-civil-war","12":"tag-feature-articles","13":"tag-historical-guns"},"yoast_head":"\nDr. Dabbs - Child Soldiers: The Tale of Johnny Clem<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dr. Dabbs - Child Soldiers: The Tale of Johnny Clem - Historical Guns - Gun Reviews and News | GunsAmerica.com\/Digest\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/gunsamerica.com\/digest\/child-soldiers-the-tale-of-johnny-clem\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Dr. Dabbs - Child Soldiers: The Tale of Johnny Clem\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Child soldiers are a blight in low-rent hotspots around the globe. 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However, shooting guns and claiming it was work seemed like a pretty sweet hustle. As a result, Will serendipitously transformed an avocation into a vocation. Raised in the Mississippi Delta, Will flew UH1H, OH58A\\\/C, CH47D and AH1S helicopters operationally as an Army Aviator. He is SCUBA-qualified and has parachuted out of perfectly good airplanes at 3 o'clock in the morning. Will has summited Mount McKinley, Alaska, six times\u2026always at the controls of an Army helicopter, which is the only way sensible folk climb mountains. Will has delivered sixty babies and occasionally wrung human blood out of his socks. He is married to his high school sweetheart and has three awesome adult children. 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