August 27, 2018
“CIVIL WAR, HOWE BROTHERS”
by Brad Bandow
“The Civil War is sometimes called ‘The Boys’ War,’” says The Washington Post, and many of the youngest of those marching into battle were the drummers. Ohio-born drummer Orion Howe was only 12 when he joined the infantry in Illinois and only 14 when his bravery in the Battle of Vicksburg earned him the Medal of Honor. His even younger brother and fellow drummer Lyston is thought by some to be the youngest veteran of the Civil War. Some years after the war the brothers settled in Streator, Illinois where Lyston patented a coal washer that ended up funding his opening a hardware store, and Orion eventually became a dentist. When Walldogs, an internationally recognized organization of master sign painters and muralists, came to Streator to in 2018 to help the town celebrate its 150th anniversary, Wisconsin artist Brad Bandow, CEO of Brushfire Signs and Murals, was tasked with leading the team creating this remembrance of the brothers on S. Monroe St. @streatorwalldog2018