#i find it interesting that Milliner was considered too young to be a soldier

[majorxbennyxboy]

SamDown got his own post so now it’s time for some deets about Washington’s favorite drummer boy, Alexander Milliner!

He never knew his father; Milliner Sr. was an English goldsmith who came to Quebec as an artificer with James Wolfe’s army. He was assigned to special detail and, in September of 1759, he died of possible heatstroke after The Battle of the Plains of Abraham.

Almost six months to the day after Milliner Sr.’s death, in March of 1760, Alexander was born in Quebec. While he was a small child, his mother moved with him to New York. There, she met and married one Mr. Maloney, a wealthy mason.

Around 1776, Alexander was enlisted by his step-father. He was considered too young to serve in the ranks, and so was recruited as a drummer instead. He served in that capacity for four years in Washington’s Life Guard.

He became a favorite of Washington’s - according to Milliner, Washington would frequently come to him 'after the beating of reveille’ and ‘pat him on the head, and call him his boy’. He also states that on one cold day, he was personally offered a drink from Washington’s own flask. If Washington was fond of Alexander, Alexander certainly reciprocated in his recollections, describing Washington as, “ a good man, a beautiful man. He was always pleasant; never changed countenance, but wore the same in defeat and retreat as in victory.”

These sentiments extended to Mrs. Washington as well, calling her kind-hearted and motherly. Milliner had the following to say of Martha and George,

“ One day the General had been out some time. When he came in, his wife asked him where he had been. He answered, laughing, 'To look at my boys.' 'Well,' said she, 'I will go and see my children.' When she returned, the General inquired, 'What do you think of them?' 'I think,' answered she, 'that there are a good many.'  “

He also tells a story of being summoned by Washington and, after a parade and roll-call of the Life Guard, being instructed to play a tune on the drum, for which Washington paid him three dollars. Others paid him as well, and he ended up with fifteen dollars in total.

He used at least some of the money to obtain tea for his mother, who followed the army as a washerwoman in order to be near her son.

Speaking of Mrs. Milliner, Alexander described her as “English, high-learnt, understood  every language, having been a teacher”

In yet another George Washington anecdote, Milliner says,

"We were going. along one day, slow march, and came to where the boys were jerking stones. 'Halt' came the command. 'Now, boys,' said the General, 'I will show you how to jerk a stone.' He beat 'em all. He smiled, but didn't laugh out."

Alexander Milliner was present for the battles of White Plains, Brandywine, Saratoga, Monmouth, Yorktown, and others. During The Battle of Monmouth, he was shot in the thigh and nearly died of blood loss. By his description of the incident, he didn’t realize what had happened until an Officer called his attention to the wound.

He served the American Revolution for six years all in all, and then five or six and a half  years in the navy during The War of 1812, three of them aboard The Constitution. At one point, he was severely wounded and captured by the French, after being held prisoner in Guadalupe, where he was reportedly harshly treated.

Milliner was eventually married and remained so for 62 years, having nine children. Once retired from military life, he became a farmer. By 104 years old, he could still play his drum, and was described as being a master of the instrument. He could also sing quite well.

Other bits:

He was described as ‘quite small, more-so than his picture would indicate’

At one point a bullet passed through the head of his drum, a close call.

He said that Charles Lee had an enormous nose and even told a story, “One day a man met him and turned his nose away. Lee exclaimed, “What do you do that for, you damned rascal?” the man, who also had a large nose, replied, “I was afraid our noses would meet.” Lee laughed and gave him a dollar.”