John Lincoln Clem

Meet the youngest person to fight in the Civil War in this middle-grade historical fiction novel, part of the Based on a True Story series.

Do you have what it takes to run off and join the army, leaving your family behind? That’s what John Lincoln Clem, a nine-year-old boy living in Ohio, does as the American Civil War rages on.

In 1861, Johnny sneaks onto a train filled with men from the 3rd Ohio Union Regiment, determined to fight for his country. Taken in by the older soldiers, Johnny becomes a drummer boy—not to mention the youngest person to serve in the war. Living a soldier’s life, Johnny experiences the brutalities of battle and the hunger and illness in between. Eventually he is captured by the Confederates, imprisoned, and then sent home a hero.

John Lincoln Clem: Civil War Drummer Boy by Kristin O’Donnell Tubb, writing as E. F. Abbott, is a fascinating novel for young listeners. The Based on a True Story books by E. F. Abbott are exciting historical fiction stories about real children who lived through extraordinary times in American History. This book has Common Core connections.