Elaine Sauer found that John Michael Lightner, Henry's father, was a drummer boy in the American Revolution and had bequeathed the weathered drum he had played at Valley Forge under General Washington to Henry who carried it with him when he joined Captain John Berry's Washington Artillery of the First Regiment.
The wooden drum stayed with the family until 1961, when Henry Lightner McCulloh, namesake and grandson, donated it to the Star-Spangled Banner Flag House in Baltimore where it is on permanent display. He figured it was safer there as family children went up into the attic for generations and played with it.
The ropes and leather have been replaced on the drum, but the wooden cylinder and drumhead are original.
Sauer used old records to locate the grave site.
October 13th was designated Henry Lightner Day.
I am so glad that the family has done right by their ancestor. I had never heard of the Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry before this.
Now, That Is One Drum With a Lot of History. --
2012 marks the 200th anniversary of America's "Forgotten War," the War of 1812 that took place over three years, 1812 to 1815.
Battle of New Orleans.
Showing posts with label Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry. Show all posts
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
The Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry-- Part 1
From the Nov. 11, 2012, Baltimore Sun "Family honors War of 1812 hero with headstone" by Mary Gail Hare.
Henry Lightner's unmarked grave was found and after 130 years, got a proper monument. Called "The Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry" at 16 years of age, he joined a militia unit and drummed along the march to defend Fort McHenry. On September 11, 1814, he helped sound the alarm that the British were coming and continued his drumming throughout the night of the "Rocket's Red Glare, Bombs Bursting in Air."
He died in 1883 at the age of 84 and was buried without a marker in a Baltimore cemetery.
That has now been corrected as he now has a new headstone from the Veterans Administration with hjis name, rank, service in the Maryland militia, birth and death. The family added the words "Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry" a flag and a drum.
After the war, he had worked as a roofer, fathered 12 children and was always called by that name.
His story was passed down through the generations until Elaine Sauer, 5 generations removed, started doing some online research about him and found many distant relatives along with where he was buried.
A Pounding On That Drum. More to Come. --Brock=Perry
Henry Lightner's unmarked grave was found and after 130 years, got a proper monument. Called "The Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry" at 16 years of age, he joined a militia unit and drummed along the march to defend Fort McHenry. On September 11, 1814, he helped sound the alarm that the British were coming and continued his drumming throughout the night of the "Rocket's Red Glare, Bombs Bursting in Air."
He died in 1883 at the age of 84 and was buried without a marker in a Baltimore cemetery.
That has now been corrected as he now has a new headstone from the Veterans Administration with hjis name, rank, service in the Maryland militia, birth and death. The family added the words "Drummer Boy of Fort McHenry" a flag and a drum.
After the war, he had worked as a roofer, fathered 12 children and was always called by that name.
His story was passed down through the generations until Elaine Sauer, 5 generations removed, started doing some online research about him and found many distant relatives along with where he was buried.
A Pounding On That Drum. More to Come. --Brock=Perry
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