Capt. John Drum,
the hero of Santiago, was born in Ireland, May 1, 1840. Coming to this country at an early age, he went to California, and at the outbreak of the Civil War entered the armies of the Union. At the close of hostilities he obtained a commission as Lieutenant in the regular army. He did gallant service in the various Indian wars, especially in the southwest. In 1894 he was appointed Military Instructor in St. Francis Xavier’s College, New York City. At the close of the detail he seriously considered the advisability of retiring from the service, but the destruction of the battleship Maine put an end to the idea. He immediately joined his regiment at Fort Sill and subsequently landed on Cuban soil, where he fell in the gallant charge at Santiago. Captain Drum has been a member of this society since its inauguration and took a deep interest in Irish historical matters. He was buried with military honors in Boston, Sept 3, 1898.