CIVIL WAR DRUMMERS AND THE MEDAL OF HONOR

Ed Flack ©2020 

The youngest soldiers ever awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor were drummers. Here are a few of them and their stories.

HILLIKER, BENJAMIN F.

Rank and organization: Musician, Company A, 8th Wisconsin Infantry. Place and date: At Mechanicsburg, Miss., June 4, 1863. Entered service at Waupaca Township, Wis, born: May 23, 1843, Golden, Erie County, NY. Date of issue: December 17, 1897. 

Citation: When men were needed to oppose a superior Confederate force, he laid down his drum for a rifle and proceeded to the front of the skirmish line, which was about 120 feet from the enemy. While on this volunteer mission and firing at the enemy, he was hit in the head with a mini ball that passed through him. An order was given to “lay him in the shade; he won’t last long.” He recovered from this wound, being left with an ugly scar.

HORSFALL, WILLIAM H.

Rank and organization. Drummer, Company G, 1st Kentucky Infantry. Place and date: At Corinth, Miss., May 21, 1862. Entered service at ------. Birth: Campbell County, KY. Date of issue: August 17, 1895. 

Citation: Saved the life of a wounded officer lying between the lines.

HOWE, ORION P.

Rank and organization: Musician, Company C, 55th Illinois Infantry. Place and date: At Vicksburg, Miss., May 19, 1863. Entered service at Woken, Ill. Birth: Portage County, OH. Date of issue: April 23, 1896. 

Citation: A drummer boy, 14 years of age, and severely wounded and exposed to a heavy fire from the enemy, he persistently remained upon the field of battle until he had reported to Gen. W. T. Sherman the necessity of supplying cartridges for the use of troops under the command of Colonel Malmborg.

JOHNSTON, WILLIAM H. “WILLIE”

 Rank and organization: Musician, Company D, 3d Vermont Infantry. Place and date: Unknown. Entered service at St. Johnsbury, Vt. Birth: Morristown, NY. Date of issue: September 16, 1863. Citation: Date and place of the act not on record in the War Department. Johnston’s story is found at https://historycollection.com/kids-battle-10-american-child-soldiers-civil-war/7/.

Citation: The youngest soldier ever to receive the Medal of Honor was a drummer boy, William H. “Willie” Johnston. During his service, he participated in several events, including the Seven Days Retreat in the Peninsula Campaign. He served in an “exemplary” fashion. During this event, Johnston was the only drummer in his division to come away with his drum during a general rout. 

His superiors considered this a commendable feat when many soldiers had discarded their weapons to lighten their load. Through his division commander’s recommendation, Johnston earned the Medal of Honor, becoming the youngest recipient of the highest military decoration at 13 years of age. Secretary of War, Edwin M. Stanton, presented the Medal of Honor to Johnston on September 16, 1863.

LANGBEIN, J. C. JULIUS

Rank and organization: Musician, Company B, 9th New York Infantry. Place and date: At Camden, N.C., April 19, 1862. Entered service at New York, N.Y, born: September 29, 1846, Germany. Date of issue: January 7, 1895.

Citation: A drummer boy, 15 years of age, he voluntarily and under a heavy fire went to the aid of a wounded officer, procured medical assistance for him, and aided in carrying him to a place of safety.

MAGEE, WILLIAM

Rank and organization: Drummer, Company C, 33d New Jersey Infantry. Place and date: At Murfreesboro, Tenn., December 5, 1864. Entered service at ------. Birth: Newark, NJ. Date of issue: February 7, 1866. 

Citation: In a charge, was among the first to reach a battery of the enemy and, with one or two others, mounted the artillery horses and took two guns into the Union lines.

SCOTT, JULIAN A.

Rank and organization: Drummer, Company E, 3d Vermont Infantry. Place and date. At Lees Mills, Va., April 16, 1862. Entered service at Johnson, Vt. Birth: Johnson, VT. Date of issue: February 1865. 

Citation: Crossed the creek under a terrific fire of musketry several times to assist in bringing off the wounded.

NOTES

“ARMY.MIL Features.” Recipients of the Medal of Honor for the United States Army. Accessed March 17, 2020. https://www.army.mil/medalofhonor/recipients.html.

Snare Drumming, The Little Finger Grip Method

by Ed Flack, ©2015

Military fife and drum tutors of the 19th century typically explain the right overhand stick grasp between the little finger and palm, or the ring finger and palm. The thumb and forefingers remain loosely closed to guide but not hold the stick. This method was prescribed by Charles S. Ashworth (1812) and George B. Bruce (1862).1

Sanford G. Moeller endorsed the little finger grip in 1925. He wrote, “...  attention might be drawn to the fact that the right stick is held almost entirely with the little finder ... When the stick is placed on the drum, the other fingers are closed around the stick, but very lightly if touching at all. This gives a most powerful and safe grip, but not rigid, and at the same time anatomically correct, allowing a comfortable hang to the arm, preventing stiffness, cramp, and fatigue.” 2

The hand is positioned palm down, but rather than bending the wrist, this stroke’s momentum generates primarily from forearm rotation with the stick angled across the hand’s metacarpal bones.

A typical rope drum has a wood counter hoop that is much taller than the metal counter hoops of screw-tensioned drums. Consequently, the hands’ playing position relative to the drumhead needs to be high enough for the strokes to clear the hoop. A slightly raised playing position in conjunction with a right-hand little finger grip ensures that the sticks will not inadvertently strike a tall counter hoop.

The little finger grasp point is very close to the butt end, adding a powerful mechanical advantage, like swinging a baseball bat, an ax, or a golf club.

Notes:
1. Charles Stewart Ashworth, A New, Useful and Complete System of Drum-beating
(Boston: G. Graupner, 1812), page 1.
George B. Bruce and Daniel D. Emmett, The Drummers’ and Fifers’ Guide
(New York: Firth, Pond & Co., 1862), page 5.
2. Sanford A. Moeller, The Art of Snare Drumming (Chicago: Ludwig Music Publishing Co., Inc., 1925), page 4.