Battledrum May 21, 2008

More than two million boys of 17 or younger served on both sides of the American Civil War as infantry, buglers and drummer boys. The drum was an important means of communication for military orders in the field. Drummer boys often found themselves on the front lines of combat in the middle of smoke-filled battlefields. Battledrum" tells the story of Rufus, a Confederate orphan adopted by a troop of Union soldiers, who eventually becomes their drummer boy. Based on a wealth of compelling stories of real-life children who fought in the Civil War, Battledrum explores a complex period in American history through the eyes of young people.