Richard Coulter Drum Passes Away

Today in Masonic History Richard Coulter Drum passes away in 1909.

Richard Coulter Drum was a Civil War General.

Drum was born on May 28th, 1825 in Greensburg, Pennsylvania. He graduated from Jefferson College in Washington, Pennsylvania before going briefly into the printing business.

When the Mexican-American War started in 1846, Drum enlisted in the Army as a private in the 1st Pennsylvania Volunteers. The following year he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 9th Infantry.

Between the Mexican-American War and the American Civil war, Drum served as an aide-de-camp to General William Harney during his expedition against the Sioux.

In 1861 Drum was appointed as the assistant adjutant general for the Department of the Pacific. There he spent the entire Civil War being promoted all the way to brevet brigadier general.

From 1865 to 1866 he was the Assistant Adjutant General for the Department of California. He then served as the Assistant Adjutant General for the Department of the East in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until 1868. From 1868 to 1869 he was the Assistant Adjutant General in the 3rd Military District of the Department of the South in Atlanta, Georgia.

In 1869, Drum was promoted to full Colonel. In 1873 he was made assistant adjutant general of the Military Division of the Missouri, in Chicago. There he commanded the federal troops during the Great Railroad Strike of 1877. The strike involved three pay cuts by the B&O Railroad. The strike involved several states and more than 100 people were killed during the strike.

In 1880, Drum was promoted to full brigadier general and made the Adjutant General of the United States Army.

Drum passed away on October 15th, 1909.

Drum was a member of Oriental Lodge No. 144 in San Francisco, California.

This article provided by Brother Eric C. Steele.