Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park will hold a special 45-minute program at the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center Theater Sunday, April 3 at 2 p.m. called “Drummer Boys – Fact or Fiction.”

This interpretive program will address the subject of drummer boys and the numerous stories that revolve around their part in the Civil War. From the tales of “The Drummer Boy of Chickamauga” to the legendary “Red Cap,” stories of these young boys and their adventures have captivated readers’ imaginations for a century and a half.

From the beginning of the war, music played a major factor in the morale of the troops. In addition to this important role, individual instruments, such as drums, bugles, and fifes, were used as communication devices before, during, and after a battle. Young men who were too young to carry a rifle were allowed to enlist as musicians and drummers, with the assumption that they would not be involved with actual combat. This assumption proved to be incorrect as the war progressed.

For information about programs at Chickamauga and Chattanooga National Military Park, contact the Chickamauga Battlefield Visitor Center at 706-866-9241, the Lookout Mountain Battlefield Visitor Center at 423-821-7786, or visit www.nps.gov/chch.