The Drummer Boy

The Drummer Boy, by John Trowbridge

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Title: The Drummer Boy
Author: John Trowbridge
Release Date: December 3, 2006 [EBook #19999]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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THE
DRUMMER BOY

by
J. T. TROWBRIDGE

NEW YORK HURST & COMPANY PUBLISHERS

J. T. TROWBRIDGE SERIES UNIFORM WITH THIS VOLUME By J. T. TROWBRIDGE
Coupon Bonds. Cudjo's Cave. Drummer Boy, The. Martin Merryvale, His X Mark. Lucy Arlyn. Father Bright Hopes. Neighbor Jackwood. Three Scouts, The.
Price, postpaid, 50��. each, or any three books for $1.25
HURST & COMPANY Publishers, New York

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER PAGE
I. Frank at Home 5
II. Off to the War 12
III. Under Canvas 21
IV. The old Drummer and the new Drum 32
V. Fun in Camp 41
VI. Breaking Camp 51
VII. Through Boston 59
VIII. Annapolis 71
IX. Thanksgiving in Camp 81
X. Frank's Progress 89
XI. A Christmas Frolic 93
XII. The Secessionist's Turkeys 105
XIII. The Expedition Moves 118
XIV. The Voyage and the Storm 125
XV. Hatterns Inlet 134
XVI. How Frank lost his Watch 143
XVII. In which Frank sees strange Things 151
XVIII. Bitter Things 161
XIX. Seth gets "Riled" 170
XX. Sunday before the Battle 178
XXI. Up the Sound 187
XXII. The Attack of the Gunboats 194
XXIII. The Troops disembark.--The Island 201
XXIV. The Bivouac 206
XXV. Atwater 212
XXVI. Old Sinjin 219
XXVII. The Skirmish 225
XXVII. Jack Winch's Catastrophe 231
XXIX. How Frank got News of his Brother 238
XXX. The Boys meet an old Acquaintance 248
XXXI. "Victory or Death!" 255
XXXII. After the Battle 261
XXXIII. A Friend in need 268
XXXIV. The Hospital 273
XXXV. Conclusion 279

FRANK MANLY, THE DRUMMER BOY.
I.
FRANK AT HOME.
One evening, in the month of October, 1861, the Manly family were gathered together in their little sitting-room, discussing a question of the most serious importance to all of them, and to Frank in particular. Mrs. Manly sat by the table, pretending to sew; but now and then the tears rushed into her eyes, and dropped upon her work, in spite of all she could do to keep them back. Frank watched her with a swelling breast, sorry to see his mother so grieved, and yet glad in one little corner of his heart; for, although she had declared that she could not think of granting his request, he knew well, by those tears of hers, that she was already thinking of granting it.
"A pretty soldier you'll make, Frank!" said Helen, his elder sister, laughing at his ambition. "You never fired a gun in your life; and if you should see a rebel, you wouldn't know which end of the gun to point at him, you'd be so frightened."
"Yes, I know it," retorted Frank, stoutly, determined not to be dissuaded from his purpose either by entreaties or ridicule; "and for that reason I am going to enlist as a drummer boy."
"Well," exclaimed Helen, "your hands will tremble so, no doubt you can roll the drumsticks admirably."
"Yes, to be sure," replied Frank, with a meaning smile; for he thought within himself, "If she really thinks I am such a coward, never mind; she'll learn better some day."
"O, don't go to war, dear Frank," pleaded, in a low, sweet voice, his younger sister, little Hattie, the invalid, who lay upon the lounge, listening with painful interest to the conversation; "do, brother, stay at home with me."
That affectionate appeal touched the boy's heart more deeply than his mother's tears, his elder sister's ridicule, and his father's opposition, all combined. He knelt down by little Hattie's side, put his arms about her neck, and kissed her.
"But somebody must go and fight, little sister," he said, as soon as he could choke back his tears. "The rebels are trying to overthrow the government; and you wouldn't keep me at home--would you?--when it needs the services of every true patriot?"
"Which of the newspapers did you get that speech out of?" asked Helen. "If Jeff Davis could hear you, I think he'd give up the Confederacy at once. He would say, 'It's no use, since Young America has spoken.'"
"Yes; like the coon in the tree, when he saw Colonel Crockett taking aim at him," added Frank: "says the coon, 'Don't shoot! If it's you, colonel, I'll come down!' And I tell ye," cried the boy, enthusiastically, "there's something besides a joke in it. Jeff'll be glad to come down out of his tree, before we hang him on it."
"But if you go to war, Frank," exclaimed the little invalid, from her pillow, "you will be shot."
"I expect