Adventures and Reminiscences of a Volunteer; Or, A Drummer Boy from Maine

A young New York newsboy watches the first thunder of Fort Sumter and feels the spark of patriotism ignite within him. He recounts the raw excitement of those early war days, the frantic shouts in the streets, and the ache of being too small to join the fight. From the bustling city he is thrust onto a rugged Maine farm, where his family carves a homestead from pine‑clad hills and granite ledges, learning the hard rhythm of labor while his imagination still beats to the drum of battle.

The memoir captures the clash between quiet, back‑country life and the restless call of a drum boy eager to march. It offers vivid snapshots of a childhood shaped by loss, hard work, and the promise of a new mother and sister, all set against the backdrop of a nation at war. Listeners will feel both the grit of pioneer perseverance and the youthful yearning that propelled him toward the Union ranks.