U.S. Civil War Musicians

[dreadnut]

We toured Gettysburg a few years back, and almost every monument had brass plaques listing the soldiers and officers who were lost in the battle, their rank, and their primary job title. Many were "Musicians."

If you think about it, being that there were no radios and no amplification, musical instruments were crucial in communicating orders to the troops; advance, flank, retreat,... Trumpets, Bugles, Pipes, Drums, etc. really carry a long distance. The musicians also entertained the troops in rare times of relative calm.

 

[fronobulax]

Speaking for the Union side only, at the beginning of the war regiments were authorized a regimental band. Drums, fifes and brass instruments primarily. As the war progressed bands were disbanded (Ha Ha) and if they existed they were attached to brigades or divisions. There were still a handful of musicians on the regimental rolls - drummers, fifers and a bugler. I don't know whether the Bugler was listed as a Bugler, a Musician or Regimental Staff. For the most part the duty of the musicians while marching was to play, but in combat they were usually assigned as stretcher bearers or hospital orderlies. Many of the under age soldiers who served were drummers ("drummer boy"). There are cases where the "band" would play for the "brass" for a dance or party but a lot of the accounts I read of the troops being entertained involved soldiers with guitars, banjos or fiddles.

There is at least one Martin guitar around today that was owned and used by a Union Captain during he War. I amuse myself, and sometime others, by telling about the time I was within touching distance of a pre-war Martin, in a concert. That would be pre-Civil War

 

[Aristera]

I just purchased this after hearing Jorma put in a plug during one of his Quarantine Concerts. It just came last week and I plan on giving it a good listen when I return home tomorrow.

 

[fronobulax]

I just purchased this after hearing Jorma put in a plug during one of his Quarantine Concerts. It just came last week and I plan on giving it a good listen when I return home tomorrow.

Old standards What will make or break it is the performers but that looks like an all star list so it should be good. Of course I inadvertently raised a son who not only could sing at least 7 verses of Richmond is a Hard Road to Travel but could explain the meaning/context of each verse - all from memory.

i I can steal a line, "waiting for the review",

 

[jp]

This tradition still continues today. I have a couple of friends who joined the service specifically to be musicians, and they traveled quite a bit entertaining troops.

 

[fronobulax]

This tradition still continues today. I have a couple of friends who joined the service specifically to be musicians, and they traveled quite a bit entertaining troops.

Yeah, the service bands are full of top notch musicians and they continue to perform and entertain. If they weren't so good and so many based in the DC area, I might have ended up with a tuba gig

 

[dreadnut]

That looks like a great album! What a cast!