Fifes

These fifes belonged to 14-year-old Orion Howe who served at Vicksburg, Mississippi during the siege as a musician with the 55th Illinois Infantry Company C. Howe exhibited courage and tenacity on May 19, 1863, when his unit was involved in fighting at Graveyard Road. When Colonel Oscar Malmborg asked for volunteers to run to the rear of the line to secure needed cartridges, Howe volunteered for the hazardous duty. Dodging shot and shell, Howe was struck in the thigh by a minie' ball, but he refused to give up until he reported the circumstances to General William T. Sherman. For his bravery, he was awarded our nation's highest honor, the Medal of Honor. Howe's story of sacrifice and bravery exemplifies the struggles and sacrifices suffered by soldiers on both sides during the Vicksburg Campaign and Siege.