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‘The Little Drummer Boy of Chalmette’ was actually a slave [1]
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Date: 2025-07-09
Jordan B. Noble in the 1880s, shortly before his death. Credit: Public domain
With a steady drumbeat, Jordan Bankston Noble helped the United States defeat the British during the Battle of New Orleans. As a result, he became known as “The Drummer Boy of Chalmette.”
“Noble took part in the most memorable battle of his military career,” states the National Museum of the United States Army. Serving in three more wars as a drummer, “Noble contributed to the battlefield success of the units with which he served.”
And he did it while being enslaved.
Born in Augusta, Ga. in 1800, Noble lived with his mother, Judith. In 1814, a slave trader sold them to Army Lt. John Noble of the 7th Regiment. When Gen. Andrew Jackson called for recruits to defend New Orleans from the British, Noble and more than 400 Black men volunteered.
Noble, 14, “became a hero on the Chalmette battlefield that day (Jan. 8, 1815) by signaling drum calls as orders were issued,” the Historic New Orleans Collection states. “Jackson only spoke English, and several of the soldiers beneath him spoke French or Choctaw. For this reason, Jordan’s signals were of chief importance.”
After Noble’s war service, he and his mother remained enslaved. They were given to Col. Alexander White, who sold them to musician John Reed.
“Reed allowed Noble to pursue music, start a family, gain an education and continue his military service,” the Army Museum states. Noble eventually gained his freedom, “although historical record does not indicate how or when he gained it.”
Noble, who continued to play his drum and lead parades after retirement, died in 1890.
“Despite racial prejudices and enslavement, Noble socially advanced to become an iconic figure in New Orleans,” the Army Museum states. He “always wanted to be known for his service as the drummer boy of the Battle of New Orleans.”
For more tales from New Orleans history, visit the Back in the Day archives.
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