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Maynard's Drummer Boy Thomas Campbell, Well Known and Beloved Veteran |
| Thomas Campbell, G.A.R. veteran, died at 1:15 on Sunday morning at the Soldiers' hospital in Chelsea, of bronchial pneumonia following a short illness. Mr. Campbell had been well known to the Maynard people as the “Drummer Boy” for it was as that, that he enlisted in the Civil war at the age of fourteen years.¹ He was born in Oxford. He is survived by one son, Joseph H. Campbell, of Waltham; two sisters, Mrs. Alice Ledgard and Mrs. Henry Ledgard, and two brothers, William and Edward Campbell, all of Maynard.
Comrade Campbell at the time of his death was a member of Post 10, G.A.R., of Worcester, and of late years had made his home at 142 Front street, Worcester; though he spent a great deal of his time with relatives in this town. Until very recent years, Mr. Campbell had made a practice of turning out on Memorial day with the local Post and often he was seen in the line of march beating on the same drum he had carried through action at Antietam, Fredericksburg and South Bend. Having twice been in hospitals during the Rebellion, he was assigned to garrison duty at Elmira, NY, where 12,000 rebel prisoners were held and later he served at the garrisons at Buffalo and Bigelow's Island. Mr. Campbell was the last member of the G.A.R., claiming a residence in Maynard, and the day of his death was one which he looked forward to with pride, for he intended on that day to be present at the Memorial park dedication here. Following the close of the dedication exercises a Legion delegation from Frank J. Demars Post met the body of Mr. Campbell enroute to his sister's home and acted as an escort. Funeral services were held Tuesday morning from the home of his sister, Mrs. Alice Ledgard, Pleasant street, at 8:30, with a requiem high mass at St. Bridget's church at 9 o'clock; Rev. Charles Donahue officiating. Interment was in St. Bridget's cemetery. Floral tributes in abundance showed the esteem with which they looked upon the deceased, and his flag-draped casket caused an ache in many a heart as the thought reigned that there was the last of the honorable men who had fought so valiantly to hold together the great union of this county. Commander Charles Mathewman with a delegation of twenty-one World war veterans acted as an escort to the funeral cortege and served as bearers. At the grave a volley was sounded in honor of the departed veteran and taps were sounded over the grave of the last of our G.A.R. veterans. |
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