John Clem
American Civil War
- Battle of Chickamauga
John Lincoln Clem (August 13, 1851 – May 13, 1937) was a United States Army general who served as a drummer boy in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He gained fame for his bravery on the battlefield, becoming the youngest noncommissioned officer in Army history. He retired from the Army in 1915, having attained the rank of Brigadier General in the Quartermaster Corps. When advised he should retire, he requested to be allowed to remain on active duty until he became the last veteran of the Civil War still on duty in the Armed Forces. By special act of Congress on August 29, 1916, he was promoted to Major General one year after his retirement from the Army.
Read more about John Clem: Civil War, Later Life, Personal Life, Dates of Promotion, Memorialization
Famous quotes containing the word john:
“Of all the men who were said to be my contemporaries, it seemed to me that John Brown was the only one who had not died.”
—Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862)