The Drummer Boy of Shilo

Drummer Boy of Shiloh is a story following a young boy the night before the battle of Shiloh. The boy Joby is not only scared but is ashamed because he has little importance in his job. He thinks that he is just a blip in history and nothing he does has any effect on the war. But throughout the story he slowly realizes his importance in the war.

In the beginning of the story the drummer boy starts to think about the war. He believes that he will be the first to die and no one will ever care or even know. He thinks, “I got a drum two sticks to beat it and not shield”. Joby then starts to cry he feels alone and unimportant. He faces doubt in what he’s doing. Sometimes I can easily relate to him. I know I’m not going to go to war any time soon but I sometime feel like everything I do is unimportant. I think nothing I do will ever affect the world but I am wrong.

Towards the end of the story the general over hears his crying and talks to him.  At first the general comes out as a mean person but then he tells Joby that he is not the only one crying he tells him that all the other solders and even him feel the same way but Joby shouldn’t be because he is the heart of the army. The general didn’t mean that Joby was the most important solder but he meant that everything he does would affect something or someone. When I read this I thought of quote that said a flap of a butterfly’s wing may cause a hurricane in the other part of the world. It reminded me of the story because Joby is like a butterfly any thing he does might affect the outcome of the war.  Which goes back to my point that everyone has an importance in the world.