Army·Technology obsolescence·In Memoriam
Field Musician — Drummer, Fifer, Bugler
Served: 1775–c.1918
Beat drum or sounded bugle calls that regulated camp life and relayed battlefield commands — Reveille, Tattoo, Charge, Retreat, Taps. Doubled as stretcher-bearers under fire.
The Story
John Clem of the 22nd Michigan enlisted at age 11 and was promoted to sergeant at 12 — possibly the youngest NCO in US Army history. Twenty-eight Army musicians won the Medal of Honor in the Civil War, most for dragging wounded off the field, not for performance.
Epitaph
“Carried the rhythm and the wounded. Killed by the field telephone.”
Sources
- Army.mil — Origins of Army Musicwww.army.mil
- Wikipedia — John Clemen.wikipedia.org