10th Massachusetts Infantry - 14 Year old Drummer

Item CDV-7653

Description

10th Massachusetts Infantry - 14 Year old Drummer
Myron P. Walker
Musician (Drummer Boy)
No Backmark
Identified in period ink
CDV is from the Mike McAfee collection

Myron Philo Walker of Springfield, son of Asa and Fanny (Pease) Walker, was born in Belchertown February 18, 1847. He married in London, England, in June 18, 1878, Mary Norton Crocker. He was educated in the public schools of his native town.

Mr. Walker, at the breaking out of the Civil War, when only fourteen years of age, left school and entered the service as a drummer boy. The Belchertown Company, which he intended to accompany, being disbanded, he went to Springfield, offered his services to a Northampton Company in the Tenth Regiment of Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. At first his services were declined on account of his size and age, but afterwards he was accepted as a drummer boy in this regiment, with which he remained at the front until the return of the regiment in June, 1864. He then found employment in a country store at Belchertown, and in 1868 went to California, where for a time he was again clerk in a store. In 1870 he accepted a situation in the general agency of the Pacific Mutual Life Insurance Company, of Sacramento, California, and after went to San Francisco and was interested in a general agency of New York companies. In 1878 he returned to his native town.

Mr. Walker, January 4, 1886, was appointed assistant adjutant-general, with the rank of colonel, on the staff of Governor Robinson. He is a member of the Grand Army; was commander of the department of Massachusetts in 1888; member of the State Senate 1885-86; is a member of the Masonic Fraternity and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. He has been president of the Tenth, and is an honorary member of the Thirty-seventh Regiment Association."

From: Massachusetts Military Company History, Volume 4.