Drummer Boys Of The Past

Here in front of Buckingham House in Newark Ohio is a statue of Johnny Clem one of the many famous drummer boys from the Civil War.  I suspect that my drummer boy ancestor Robert Henry Hendershot has a statue dedicated to him near Jackson Michigan, but confess that I don't know for sure.  I grew up near Newark and have always been familiar with stories about Johnny Clem.  Some of my friends and acquaintances have tales of houses that they worked in for short periods of time, from the same time period that were haunted by Johnny!  I found a book in the library called Too Young To Die that has several accounts of Robert Henry Hendershot my ancestor and I can safely say he was a character for sure.  You can check out my references to him on the pages of my fathers ancestors at the top of this blog.  After reading more about Robert Henry and his insolence towards authority, I realize that I come by my own quite naturally!  Two summers ago I was asked to dress up like a Native American for a drum quartet.  I was to play a part in a multicultural drum group and was asked about my ancestry prior to being selected.  The drum leader was disappointed that I couldn't prove that I was actually genetically Native American but because I look Native American, and my drum is a Native American frame drum, and because she couldn't find a genuine Native American, I was hired to deceive the audience..  It could very well be that Robert Henry Hendershot's mother was Native American, but I have not found conclusive evidence.  Still though the whole experience of deceiving the audience that night has left a bad taste in my mouth for this drum leader and her underhanded attempts of achieving multicultural drummers.  I come by my drumming pretty naturally and have legitimate ancestry to prove it.  I will be drumming this weekend in Columbus at The Spiritualist Temple.  I will try to post some information on that concert tomorrow in case some of you would like to hear us perform.  Today, I am unloading the last load of my move and making feathers.