I never knew about this excellent movie of 1962 till I have seen this recently. Excellent work, very warm, fast, not prone to violent scenes, and still very realistic, decent and good at execution. I liked the main character, Johnny The Drummer Boy, a mascot turned to a full Sergeant for his battle valor and his bravery. His mission is very vital to Blue Raiders - to deliver an important message, and then he has to undergo a series of daredevil events, hardships and even small tragedies. But he does well, and he survives to deliver his message to generals and to help the Union win a battle. Nice work, excellent old Hollywood style of filming, great Shiloh battle scene, excellent music score, nice setting and very fine play of main character. The movie depicts true men's friendship and shows real valiance in face of truly frightening events and moments. This is highly enjoyable and very much recommended