Make an Offer Today and Get a Quick Response! Take a Look at This Week’s Specials! JOHN CLEM – AUTOGRAPH LETTER SIGNED 09/16/1915 – HFSID 251495. DRUMMER BOY OF CHICKAMAUGA: JOHN LINCOLN CLEM. Rare ALS: Jno L. Canadian Pacific Railway, Hotel System, Chateau Frontenac, Quebec, 1915 April 16. To Captain George E. In full: Your very kind letter of the 10th reached me here & I have forwarded your letter to John McElroy who will attend to your requests. I will not get to Washington until the 29th. It is cold up here & we move southward to-day. Our first stop will be White Mts. We may yet live in Washington but we will go to San Antonio first. My son is doing splendidly & does not call on’Dad’ any more financially. After being turned down, he ran away from home and attached himself to the 22nd Michigan Infantry. The soldiers gave him a drum and chipped in to pay him soldier’s wages. In April 1862, a shell smashed his drum at the Battle of Shiloh and Clem became known as Johnny Shiloh. Without a drum, he was given a musket cut down to his size. During the fighting at Chickamauga in 1863, he became separated from his regiment. A Confederate Colonel rode towards him shouting, Stop, you little Yankee devil! The 60-pound soldier lifted his musket to his shoulder and fired, killing the Colonel. Clem was captured but escaped when the battle intensified. Clem, who was then 12, was given the rank of Sergeant for his actions, becoming THE YOUNGEST SOLDIER IN THE UNION ARMY and the youngest Sergeant ever in the U. When he retired in 1915 (the year of this letter), Clem was a Major General and the last man on active duty who had fought in the Civil War. The epitaph on his tombstone at Arlington National Cemetery reads: JOHN LINCOLN CLEM/THE DRUMMER BOY OF CHICKAMAUGA/MAJOR GENERAL U. One of the most desirable and least encountered of all Civil War autographs. Mounting strips on verso at upper edge lightly show through. File notes (unknown hand) at upper blank area. Lightly nicked at right blank margin. See more material from these signers. See more listings in our MILITARY (2,439). Please note that this is an authentically signed item. We do not sell autograph copies or signature reprints. Images shown may contain our company watermark. The actual document does not contain this watermark. This item has been authenticated and is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity issued by our parent company, Gallery of History, Inc. We financially stand behind our COA. Ask us about our PSA/DNA and JSA authentication guarantee. Our Third & Best Handbook – The One You Want On Historical Documents! Enhance your collecting experience. For the experienced and novice collector and for those who just love learning history this beautiful 253-page hardcover volume is for you! Take a look at over. Other listings in these categories. And This Week’s Specials. Gallery of History is the world’s largest dealer of authentic autographs and manuscripts. Our inventory contains documents in all areas of interest including presidents, royalty, military, aviation, religion, business, science, celebrities, sports, music, authors and more. Whether looking to add to your collection, acquire a unique centerpiece for the home or office, or as a truly one-of-a-kind gift for someone special, you’ll find it here at HistoryForSale. The Gallery of History. Founded in 1981, is a long-standing UACC Registered Dealer, #RD110, and is a long-standing member of the Manuscript Society. The Gallery of History is the largest dealer in the world with an available inventory that exceeds 230,000 rare autographs and manuscripts. Preserving historical documents is important to us. Our unframed items are sent to you either in acid-free archival sleeves or have been encapsulated when noted. The majority of our in-house framed items are encapsulated in acid free sleeves to guard against organic acids, mounted in an acid-free enviroment and are framed behind glass or UF3-AR Plexiglas which blocks out most ultraviolet light. We warrant to the original purchaser for a period of ten (10) years from the date of the sale the authenticity of any autograph offered by HistoryForSale. Gallery of History is not liable for any other damages, including consequential damages. There are no other warranties of any nature either expressed or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. This item is in the category “Collectibles\Autographs\Military”. The seller is “historydirect” and is located in this country: US. This item can be shipped worldwide.
- Authentication: Numbered COA issued by Gallery of History, Inc.
- Signed by: John Clem
- Autograph Type: Autograph Letter Signed
- Autograph: Authentic Original