Treasure Chest Thursday...A Drum Returns to te Battlefield

Last week, Texican, Texichick and I visited the Droop Mountain Civil War Battlefield, located on Droop Mountain in southern West Virginia.

Here my Great-Grandfather William M. Bean who was a Confederate soldier, faced off against my Great-Great-Grandfather Gottleib Dreher [a new immigrant to the US], who was a Union soldier. Neither were aware of the other at this bloody battle, at least not to our knowledge! Little could they have known that less than 100-years later their grandchildren would meet and marry!

In the Park's museum, which I had last visited whn my children were very small, I was simply fascinated with this find, which was not present at my last visit.

A drum, which had actually been found at the scene of the battle.

How wonderful that it's present day owner decided it belonged in the Park's museum for all to see and treasure!

At the entrance to Droop Mountain Battlefield State Park.

The Droop Mountain Civil War Battlefield Museum.

[That's Texichick in the orange blouse entering the museum.]

The drum is enclosed in a weather-tight lucite case. It's story is framed and hangs above it.

[These photos are a bit dark, and slightly fuzzy as I did not use a flash in order to preserve the items from exposure.]

A closer view of the drum.

The article reads:

Drum Found at Droop Mountain

This drum was found by three local boys while

tending to a wounded Confederate soldier on the

day after the battle. Fearing capture by approaching

Union soldiers, they ran down the mountain, taking

the drum with them. It remained in the possession

of community families until 1997 when Johnnie

B. Hill of Jacox donated the drum to Droop

Mountain Battlefeld State Park. Mr. Hill had

protected the drum for more than 50 years and

wanted it returned to the park for all to enjoy.

While not a treasure found within my own family, what a treasure to find this wonderful old drum at the park this past week! Here hundreds, if not thousands, visit yearly, and can enjoy seeing this great treasure.

As one stands in the log cabin museum, you can almost hear the faint echo of the drum as it called the troops into formation during the battle!

An echo from the past... that is heard yet today.