Enlistment in Illinois
On August 12, 1862, in Metamora, Illinois, my 2nd great uncle enlisted in the Union Army at the age of twenty-four. Just over two weeks later, on August 28, he was mustered into service at Peoria as a private in Company E of the 108th Illinois Infantry.
Another record makes clear that he was chosen for the drum corps because of his musical ability. While later accounts describe him as a “drummer boy,” the phrase reflects memory more than reality. He was a trained musician serving in a critical role within the regiment.
The Language of the Drum
In the Civil War army, the drum was a system of command. Each rhythm carried a specific meaning, and soldiers were trained to respond instantly.
Drummers relayed orders, regulated daily life, directed troop movements, and assisted the wounded. The drum was the voice of the regiment—keeping order in moments when confusion could take over.
Campaigns of the Western Theater
From late 1862 through 1865, he followed the Union Army through the Western Theater. His service took him from Chickasaw Bayou to Arkansas Post, through Mississippi and Tennessee, and into the campaigns that would ultimately secure control of the Mississippi River.
The Vicksburg Campaign
The Vicksburg Campaign defined his wartime experience. Following the Union victory at Champion Hill and the crossing of the Big Black River, the army laid siege to the city.
For weeks, soldiers lived under constant pressure. Drummers continued their work—signaling movements, maintaining order, and assisting the wounded.
On July 4, 1863, Vicksburg surrendered, giving the Union control of the Mississippi River.
Three Years in Uniform
Simon served three full years, from August 1862 to August 1865. On August 5, 1865, at Vicksburg, Mississippi, he was mustered out and honorably discharged.
Though officially recorded as a private, the evidence shows he served as a musician—chosen for his skill and entrusted with a vital role.
The Man He Became
Later photographs show a man shaped by experience. His life after the war returned to the rhythms of farming, far removed from the battlefields of the South.
Yet the discipline and memory of those years remained—a quiet presence carried forward into the rest of his life.
Remembering His Service
He was not a drummer boy in the literal sense, but a skilled musician chosen for an essential role.
He marched through major campaigns, stood near battle, and helped maintain order when it mattered most.
For three years, he kept time for the Union Army.
This article combines military records, family documents, and historical sources to reconstruct the service of a soldier in the 108th Illinois Infantry.
- Illinois State Archives, Civil War Muster and Descriptive Rolls Database
- Obituary of Simon Franklin Chapman
- family archive National Park Service, Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
- Library of Congress, Civil War collections Edwin C. Bearss
- The Vicksburg Campaign American Battlefield Trust Chapman family photograph collection
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