Firing by The Drum

[27thNCdrummer]

Gents,
I'm wondering which way is the most authentic way to fire by the drum. I've heard several versions. Does anybody have any documentation as to which way is most authentic?
Thanks,

[Kevin O'Beirne]

For what it's worth, it's long been my understanding that, in battle, bugles were used for signalling to the men and to subordinate units. Field musicians (fifers and drummers) were typically sent to the rear before the bullets started flying.

[Curt-Heinrich Schmidt]

Hallo!

I am getting rusty...
I do not recall any Manual reference for firing by the drum or bugle, and the only bugle call that comes to mind, off the top of my head at the moment, is for "'Commemce Firing" and "Cease Firing" instructions to skirmish lines.

Perhaps incorrectly, I had always thought that "Fire by the Drum" was a reenactorism created by taking the principles of the School of teh Soldier's Manual of Arms and later Direct Fire and assigning 1-4 beats of the drum for the "Ready. Aim. Fire. Load." commands.

Where are our buglers? ;)

Curt

[27thNCdrummer]

After some more research this is a reenactorism! There is commence and cease firing on the drum however. In what context would commence fire be used?

[Todd Watts]

I don't know if this is really a "re-enactorism" or not. I have not seen any evidence either way, but the Nation Park Serv does occasionally demonstrate the technique, and their Park historians are pretty detailed about doing what was done. I find it hard to believe that the Parks have just latched onto re-enacting stuff as historical fact so easily if that is the case. It may be that it was indeed a viable technique in manuals before the CW, like in Revy War or 1812 and the technique gets passed around Park ranger trainings that way.

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Are you saying, "I saw it at a NPS site so therefore it's probably correct"?

That probably falls into the same category of, "I know it's true 'cause I read it on the Internet."

[DougCooper]

The most famous example of NPS firing by the drum is of course the infantry demo tape at the Gburg NMP. This was my first event (1988), and I was somewhat amazed last year to see it was still being used, but hey, the Shiloh tape dates from around 1960.

Anyway, we fired by the drum and the thing is, it is quite effective at training troops to fire a crisp volley (some locals out here who fall far short on the scale use it for ceremonies) - but I have never, ever seen a ref to it being used in combat, nor even training for that matter. As has been said on here, the drummers were normally toting stretchers, but if they were still in ranks, trying to hear a drum over gunfire is problematic.

[markj]

Nope, I've never encountered any documented reports of "firing by the drum" in an ACW engagement.

However, if it's of any interest, the Prussian Army during the same period did conduct firing by the drum and I can provide details from the Army & Navy Journal. Alas, this really doesn't count, does it?

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[RJSamp]

This may be in the "Firing By File means wait for the file on your right to discharge their weapons on the drill field only" realm. [In actual practice, you simply fired on your own crook as fast as you could (for citations you can start with OTIS and DAWES in their books on the 2nd and 6th WVI respectively).]

We know that JACKSON grabbed a young drummer and excitedly shouted to him to "Beat the Rally, Beat the Rally" (First Kernstown I believe). And we've read of McDowell tying/teathering a drummer to him using his Sash. The drummer then beat out the evolutions for all of his orders. We've got plenty of quotes to the effect "I never once heard a command issued by the drum on the battlefield at any time during the war". (Olsen's "Music and Musket's", 1981 is a good place to start on this). So early on there were a few drummer's on the battlefield trying to communicate.

Recall that McClellan instituted Division drill by the bugle in October 1861 as none of our units recognize the calls. It's not until the 2nd round of battles that they gave up on drummers and started to utilize buglers....and Casey's 1862 Tactics Manual spells this out "The following beats are only to be used in the absence of the bugle". So any use of drummers on the battlefield is most likely 1861....and less as each month goes by. I don't recall any use of the drum at Shiloh for example (other than a long roll).....or just about any battle....doesn't mean it was never used, more likely we've never looked for the evidence of absence.

Was Firing by The Drum ever used? Most Likely. On a battlefield while being fired upon? Doubt it. We've all read about a steady beat of the drum being used During the manual of arms....loading.....marching....evolutions. We know of units that manuevered by the tap of a drum....at a distance from the commander.....in drill..... why not use the drums to indicate the moment for a volley? During drill.

Examining the drum and bugle signals from a number of manuals: Prussian, Hanoverian, Russian, British, Norwegian, Mexican, French, and US Duane's (1812), Cooper's (1826)...... there are a lot of commanality in the beats and calls for Commence Firing that supports the use as a 'volley' signal. Whether it's the Hanoverian calls/drum beats that have an indication of execution (for all manuever calls), to the Mexican, Norwegian, and Russian calls that have a 1 2 3 4 approach....to the US calls with the timing pulses or missing beats.... The Prussian call and usage was to fire by bugle......and we had several regiments in the Federal Army that used the Prussian Calls....

Bottom Line: if we had bugle researchers prior to George Rabbai that had found other bugle sources other than Billings.....we would be in a lot better shape. First Call (of the day) was Reveille.....Taps was not sounded at the end of battles......Bugle call first, drums and fifes second. Reenactor articles in the 80's and 90's weren't looking at the numerous sources available for how bugles were actually used. It's only after we've done mass searches on the OR's for key words (bugle, sounded, charge, Reveille, First Call, call, et al), read Norton's Army Letters, Charles Perkins (1st MASS) diary, William Sargent's diary (Story of a Cavalry Bugler, 1st NE Cavalry), Alonzo Kingsbury's (Chief Bugler, 1st Mass, and Charles Perkins mentions his playing style in his diary!) autobiography (The Hero of Medfield), Charles Reeds (9th Mass Artillery) story, and specifically looked for bugle writings in thousands of sources and reported our finding through the miracle of the Internet that we are coming up with some fairly coherent, consistent, accurate understanding of how bugles were utilized.

Where's this level of intense research for the drummer's? We get into the Bruce & Emmet vs Rote training vs Hart's vs Howe's and how many of which tune was in the Reveille..... and that's it. No group of drummers world wide is rereading the Regimental history's to find out who drilled to the drum at the mustering camp..doing a search on firings/volley/musketry in proximity to the word drum? About all we have is fifers and drummers were stretcher bearers and runners during combat...except in the 4th Corps where every Colonel had a drummer next to him for the purpose of beating a long roll to cease fire and conserve ammunition (By the Order of General Woods) (and it was a reenacting bugler who found this out and published it for all). except when Jackson grabbed a drummer.... except when the Colonel exercised the troops by use of drum taps alone to show off how well trained the boys are...

I had a drummer record every beat in Casey's in 2001.....I've got a CD, Tape, Manual..... Ran off 25 copies.....and sold 10 in 6 years. Nobody knows the beats....not even the drummers. Someone want to put up a cash reward at the next event? Beat Common Step, By the Right Flank, Rally 4's, Fix Bayonets and see who gets them right? Assembly, Adjutant's Call, Three Camps and Yankee Doodle we all can probably recognize......

PEC? no.

Time for some of us to step up to the place and research it......Carlisle Barracks one of the better place's to start....

[Silas]

However, if it's of any interest, the Prussian Army during the same period did conduct firing by the drum and I can provide details from the Army & Navy Journal. Alas, this really doesn't count, does it?
Must be a reason why it's in the Journal. Context of the answer in the Journal may answer the question at issue, but more likely cause more questions. I've not noticed anything in any of the manuals or books about firing by the drum. Distance between the drummers and the end companies plus the usual battlefield noises would make firing by the drum a difficult method of keeping control of the regiment.

Of course, I've seen conflicting text which says that firing by file is the method which is most used by soldiers as well as the method which should not be used. Firing by companies in the pattern of 1-3-5-7-2-4-6-8 then with the divisions working on their own : 1-2, 3-4, 5-6, 7-8 ; has much merit. Not sure how firing by the drum would work in the situations most likely seen by combat troops.

[john duffer]

Of course, I've seen conflicting text which says that firing by file is the method which is most used by soldiers as well as the method which should not be used.


Silas, I've seen the same thing. L'ORDONNANCE 1831 has that same 'most often used in war' statement and admonishes the instructor to work on that the most. This other is from memory and I'll have to dig it out, but I believe I've also seen the "most often ..." used as a critisism of troops drilling in square at repelling cavalry, something to the effect of the constant smoke and loss of the shock effect.

[Todd Watts]

I am not saying that "because it is demonstrated at the NPS it must be correct" but the fact is they have paid armies of historians daily researching such topics utilizing stuff the rest of us can only pray to glance at once in a lifetime. I think in order for it to be passed around the various Parks/Battlefields, there must have been at some point an historical reference to the practice. I was at a Canadian fort/castle many years ago and watched the Redcoats do firing by the drums in block formations. The drummers were in the center of the blocks with officers. These formations were from the older flintlock days, but the "fire by drum" tactics were probably still being taught at military schools even in the US by 1860. That might be why it is seen,whether or not it actually was used in CW battles or not.

I know at Franklin, Stones River and Chickamauga, buglers and drummers were on the fields using their calls to control troops on both sides. On these 3 battlefields, there are indeed some references to them. A US bugler actually won the CMofH at Chickamauga for using bugle calls on his own hook to rally a broken Union line and get it back into the fight. Civilians inside Franklin remembered in memoirs that the drums, bugles and shrill fifes could be heard as Hood's army charged. It may not have been a routine tactic, but was at least used on some occasions.

[27thNCdrummer]

I think we need to remember that musicians of the day did not have access to Prussian, Hanovarian, French, etc. manuals. Most confederate musicians could not even read music and were taught to play by some senior musician.
Also, only the officers would have access to such tactical manuals as Hardee's, Casey's, Gilham's, etc. and musicians would not have seen these technicalities.
I think it is more authentic to not have a fire by the drum if we can only find it in 18th and early 19th Century European manuals and not in a manual of our era.

[RJSamp]

I think we need to remember that musicians of the day did not have access to Prussian, Hanovarian, French, etc. manuals. Most confederate musicians could not even read music and were taught to play by some senior musician.
Also, only the officers would have access to such tactical manuals as Hardee's, Casey's, Gilham's, etc. and musicians would not have seen these technicalities.
I think it is more authentic to not have a fire by the drum if we can only find it in 18th and early 19th Century European manuals and not in a manual of our era.

Good points Andrew, remember that our beats and calls were largely derived from Their manuals. For example, Our Infantry Bugle calls are almost note for note with the French Calls from their 1832 manual. A post ACW call, Charge, the one you hear in the Western Movies, is from the cavalry trumpet call "Pas de Charge" French Cavallerie manual. And many of our 'senior' musicians had drilled under another manual. Prussian and Hanoverian bugle signals were used on American Civil War battlefields.

We're going to have to find an actual quote on this I'm afraid......I've got one that has an infantry regiment manuevering by drum beats alone aways from the Colonel and drummer. It doesn't say that they volley fired On the missing beat of Commence Fire on the drum.

see my thread on The Long Roll as well.....did the boys actually know the different beats? Produce the citation.

[27thNCdrummer]

I think you're right. The only way we're going to find out whether or not they actually used fire by the drum is if we find an actual quotation saying that they used fire by the drum.
In regards to musicians being litter bearers that is correct but the Principal Musician should have been on the field with the Colonel.

[Todd Watts]

A quote or reference would be good. I think a lot of soldiers failed to make minute detail mentions of such things that were so ordinary that they didn't consider writing about it though. If a mention was made, we just have to hope it survived this long and hope somewhere it was published or posted on the net for us. The military institutes were in the practice of teaching a lot of European tactics, and the officers corps and musician corps would have been taught these things. These things could very well have been passed down to the recruit musicians in camps of instruction that way, even if a French or Prussian manual of music would not have been found in the possession of the 4th Arkansas' illiterate drummers or buglers.;)

I'll ask the rangers I know if they know any more about this. Perhaps they'll pull some fantastic tidbit of long lost lore out of the archives. Perhaps, they will say "you know, we don't know why we have demonstrated this either" and get them to researching to correct themselves.

[Spongebucket]

I must agree with Mr. Samp. The only military references I have seen to the use of firing by the drum is in the drill. And even that for nothing bigger than maybe a company.
Just my 2 pennies
Joe Blunt

[john duffer]

It's isn't combat and it's not firing but it does have a drum in it. Scott's Military Compendium 1820:

52. The instructor causes the fire of the independent files to cease, by a roll or ruffle of the drum; at the beginning of which the firing will cease. ……..
53. The ruffle shall, always be followed by a tap of the drum, and, at this signal, the captain, as also the covering sergeant, shall, quickly, resume their places in line …..
54. If there is no drum, the instructor shall order the fire to cease, by repeating the word ruffle, as if directing the same to be beat.

the same thing is used, a verbal tap of the drumstick to resume place in line.


RJ

On a side note, only the first round of fire by file is meant to be regulated, after that every manual I've seen says the men then fire on their own without regard for their neighbor.

[RJSamp]

RJ

On a side note, only the first round of fire by file is meant to be regulated, after that every manual I've seen says the men then fire on their own without regard for their neighbor.

That I knew....the quote from the Iron Brigade writings (multiple authors in multiple regiments) is that they would fire one round by volley. Then the command was given to Fire By File, which meant fire on your own crook as fast as you could load and pull the trigger for all you were worth.

In other words, the drill (as it often is!) was different than the reality. The Iron Brigade (drilled by Artillery Battery Captain-Drill Book Writing-Regulated Fire Advocate-General John Gibbon) one of the more Regular Army-like Volunteer units, dispensed with waiting for their file partners on their right AS SOON as the command to Fire By File was given. And I would not be surprised that during combat, it was the same for many many more units.

Just like the Marine (those of the aimed precision rifle firing cult) firing over the wall at Hue (rifle over his head, full auto, firing blindly)....the average American Civil War soldier fired often, quickly, and without restraint......

A reread of the John Otto Dutch Mudsill book is in order.....they carried 120 rounds into Chickamauga on the 2nd day and were searching for more in the prostrate bodies of their comrades. That's a lot of firing.

Methinks we don't fire enough.......and are too regulated by file closers and officers who are full of themselves (too many chiefs, not enough riflemen).

blaze away.....and let's find a quote of firing by the drum in combat.

We do have quotes on commencing fire by the bugle.....that resulted in a volley (not that it was meant to be, more of a 'let em have it and pour it on' command as opposed to Fire by Battalion). and we know that the IV Corps sounded cease fire by a long roll of the drum (1 drummer per Colonel).

[LWhite64]

Back to the NPS, things are different from site to site, most sites dont have uniform regulations, etc. Safety is the only reg that is standard in the NPS. Also, FYI, we dont have Fire by the Drum at Chickamauga anymore, no evidence to back it up, and too many references to drummers being used as strecher bearers.

Lee

[Todd Watts]

Thanks Lee. Stones River and Kennessaw are still allowing the fire-by-drum, when a drummer is available and wants to do it. I was not aware that ChicChat had stopped. I've asked Lewis at STRI if he can come up with any past reasoning behind it, but so far he has not responded.

I'm trying to get a music teacher/historian (Jason Simmons) I know to get on here with his advice on the subject. I spoke to him last night and he read some stuff about buglers making calls to control troops and their firings in the field from the OR. He said the drum calls were indeed officially still taught up to the CW, however their use was on the wane at that time. In other words, some units may have been doing it while many others were not. If he gets on finally, he can shed a lot more light on the idea.

[Campjacksonboy]

As I think a few have already pointed out "Commence Fire" and "Cease Fire" show up in Bruce & Emmetts as well as Scotts.
Scott seemed to put the drum to use quite a bit as someone earlier mentioned. For example various taps at certain times told C.O's to take retake their place in line, etc. However in one volume of Scotts I noticed that he wrote something to the effect that Drums would not be played during the drilling sessions. If anyone asks I can find it and quote directly.
I was surprised with how few field calls there were for the drums and B&E is the best manual I have been able to find because of the explanations although that came later. Certainly there was some reason for B&E to include calls such as Halt, and Recall detachments just to name a few but I've never found any mention of anyone actually using them on the field either.

Also I have a couple mentions of the use of whistles and these were used by Missouri troops around the time of Corinth. They also seem to have seen pre-civil war use with the local militia. Evidently the whistle is not foreign to military use but has anyone ever seen a list of signals? Musical notes for a whistle seem absurd but I'm looking for something along those lines. or is it safe to think they made them up.
Frank Aufmuth

[Joe Walker]

Anybody out there would like to take a stab at the command "fire at will"? You hear it all the time in conjunction with "fire by files", yet "load at will" is all I've seen written. The "fire by file" is clearly and unmistakedly spelled out in the manual (School of company #57 and school of the soldier #273) and I am assuming no one out there is saying that the opening up of that action is not as it is spelled out. Is there a war-time basis for "fire at will"? I know this thread is on firing by the drum, but I couldn't help it.

Joe Walker

[RJSamp]

Anybody out there would like to take a stab at the command "fire at will"? You hear it all the time in conjunction with "fire by files", yet "load at will" is all I've seen written. The "fire by file" is clearly and unmistakedly spelled out in the manual (School of company #57 and school of the soldier #273) and I am assuming no one out there is saying that the opening up of that action is not as it is spelled out. Is there a war-time basis for "fire at will"? I know this thread is on firing by the drum, but I couldn't help it.

Joe Walker

The quotes from the Iron Brigade are that they fired on their own crook, or fired as fast as they could, every man on his own. This is as soon as the command to "Fire by File" was given. I'm heading out of town but would be more than happy to look up the citations for all y'all. Again, it has nothing to do with the manual. We know how they drilled and we know what the manual's state (and yes it's very clear). It has everything to do with Authentic Reality, i.e. recreating or reenacting what they actually did.

Haven't ever heard of the term Fire at Will (have read Load, Load at Will often) during the ACW. Also have never read of the term Fire in the Hole being yelled out during the ACW (although I've heard that expression at many events).

[RJSamp]

As I think a few have already pointed out "Commence Fire" and "Cease Fire" show up in Bruce & Emmetts as well as Scotts.
Scott seemed to put the drum to use quite a bit as someone earlier mentioned. For example various taps at certain times told C.O's to take retake their place in line, etc. However in one volume of Scotts I noticed that he wrote something to the effect that Drums would not be played during the drilling sessions. If anyone asks I can find it and quote directly.
I was surprised with how few field calls there were for the drums and B&E is the best manual I have been able to find because of the explanations although that came later. Certainly there was some reason for B&E to include calls such as Halt, and Recall detachments just to name a few but I've never found any mention of anyone actually using them on the field either.

Also I have a couple mentions of the use of whistles and these were used by Missouri troops around the time of Corinth. They also seem to have seen pre-civil war use with the local militia. Evidently the whistle is not foreign to military use but has anyone ever seen a list of signals? Musical notes for a whistle seem absurd but I'm looking for something along those lines. or is it safe to think they made them up.
Frank Aufmuth

The battle field beats are in CASEY's....literally every skirmish bugle call (and YES they were used for unit's in battle line, not just as skirmishers) has a corresponding drum beat.

I have the WHISTLE systems from the 1812 Duane's manual for light infantry. My web site/ftp site is down this week (getting a new server)...but I'd be more than happy to email you the calls....errr, whistles. It's like three short, two short, 1 short, ADVANCE. 16 rapid short notes equals Rally on the Reserve.....

[Joe Walker]

I am aware of the goof term "fire in the hole" being used at a farb fests and was thinking that "fire at will", may need to go in the same category. My old military training, at that of others may be the source of the "fire at will" command.

Joe Walker

[john duffer]

"In other words, the drill (as it often is!) was different than the reality."

From Macdougall's "THE THEORY OF WAR"

"As a general rule no manoeuvres can be too complicated for the practice of parade drill, to exercise the intelligence and self-reliance of the soldier; but before an enemy none but the simplest movements should be voluntarlly undertaken."

[Todd Watts]

I got a reply from Mr. Lewis about the firing by the drum. It appears that he himself is not aware of any time it was definately used in battle, but that it also cannot really be said it never was. It appears when I have seen it done, and both times it has been with the 2 grops he mentions or when we had a drummer volunteering at Stones River, it is more or less demonstrating the manual drill.

"I am not aware of the historical background for the use of firing by the
drum in the NPS. I have frankly only seen it done by the 21st Ohio and
occassionally by the 9th Kentucky. When we incorporated the drum into our
volunteer training s few years ago, we used the commence firing call that
is contained in some of the period manuals. We used to coordinate a volley,
but it could also be used to begin any firing activity.

I believe this would have been more of a parade ground/training tool than
something that could be effectively used in combat. I know of no references
to its use in combat. Of course, we don't simulate combat in the NPS. Our
firing programs are essentially drill with interpretation of battle events.
So the use of "by the book" drill even though it might not be used heavily,
or at all, on a battlefield seems perfectly appropriate as long as we help
pur visitors understand that battles are never fought "by the book."

Of course, now that we have Jason and his bugle, and no likely drummer
candidates, the bugle calls are likely to be featured more in our future
programs.

Jim Lewis
Park Ranger
Stones River National Battlefield"

[Joe Walker]

In 1988, I was a part of a 125th Aniversary living history program in Gettysburg NMP. I was in a Confederate brigade, made up of ten companies. Eight of the ten compainies were part of an association called "Longstreet's" and its commander was Chuck Hillsman (now deceased). We performed Gilham's and fired by the drum as part of our presentation for the crowds. Based on my memory, and discussions with my old company commander, the reason this was done was because the Virginia men "did it that way" and in a planning meeting prior to the event the GNMP staff agreed to let the Virginians have their way since they made up most of the reenactors. It was not due to the GNPS request. This may be the origin of the "fire by the drum" being used today, or perhaps a possible origin of its use by the NPS. I have no idea if the same units are firing by the drum today.

Joe Walker

[civilwarbuglertn]

Hello gentlemen My name is Jason Simmons and Todd Watts has previously referred to me. I have a degree in music, with a heavy emphasis in Music History as well as education. I also have an additional minor in history, which includes a research class. I have been successful in uncovering several hidden away primary sources in the past. However, I am also a living historian at Stones River National Battlefield. My specialty is bringing in the music to the historic field that has a rich musical history with its battle of the bands December 30, 1862. I also portray a bugler by the name of William J Carson of the 15th US Infantry at the park. He was a Medal of Honor Recipient at Chickamauga, however I do have a letter of his from immediately after Stones River. I do place a high emphasis on being authentic particularly when I portray Private Carson at the park. Just read the following excerpt from the OR 30 on him:

COLONEL: At the request of Major-General Rosecrans, I have the honor to make the following report of Private William J. Carson, bugler in the First Battalion, Fifteenth U. S. Infantry;
On Saturday, September 19, when the regular brigade was falling back, he behaved with most conspicuous gallantry; with a sword in one hand and his bugle in the other, he sounded constantly the "Halt," the "Rally," and the "Forward;" espying a stand of colors belonging to the Eighteenth U. S. Infantry, he rushed up to them and sounded "To the color." His conduct attracted the notice and elicited the admiration of the whole brigade. On Sunday, September 20, before our battalion was engaged, the Eighteenth, being pressed by vastly superior numbers, was falling back; Carson by some means became the possessor of a musket and constituted himself a "provost guard." One of the officers attempted to pass him, but he positively refused to allow it, stating that it was against his orders. All this time he continued to sound the various calls on his bugle. I regret to state that his fate remains a mystery; he was last seen by me late on Sunday afternoon behind the breastworks. I can only hope that he is a prisoner.

Now on the issue of the instruments both bugle and drums. Both instruments were used during the Civil War from a practical stand point, they were LOUDER than the human voice. A human can only yell so loud but the drums and bugle could be heard much further from the source due to the volume and frequency of the tones. In other words you could control more men with them.

The drums specifically is from older times. During the Civil War they began to phased out due the new Napoleonic use of the bugle which came into use during the 1850’s. As for the reason most of your drummers today can not play the calls is because the do not have the training. Most of the calls will take a drummer that is at least on the colligate level if not a trained professional, and I am not talking about your local country or rock drummer. It takes many hours of practice as well as a very good technical knowledge of the various drumming standards. In the modern drumming profession there are 40 rudiments, many are based on these old songs and calls. So to have a chance you must be able to play all of them at any speed correctly. Most people can not. That is the background for the modern problems. The firing by drums would have been spelled out in older manuals such as Revolutionary war or 1812. Many of the tactics would have been passed down orally, by listening. It is conceivable that they would have fired by drum during this time but not as practical as the bugle. The drum would send its sound out in all directions, but it is still louder than the human voice. The bugle is a directional instrument, the sound goes were the bell is pointed, and is much more practical. The units that would have used the drum would have been earlier war units that are directly formed from the state militias.

I like to deal in primary sources and the OR’s are considered some of the despite some inaccuracies. Here are a few:




OR. 2 Pg 272

CAMP ALLEGHANY, August 8, 1861.


SIR: On the night of the 10th of July, 1861, I was stationed with a gun and detachment of the Lee Battery on the extreme right, in front of Camp Garnett. In the forepart of the night of the 10th you brought to the support of my gun about thirty of your musketeers. Immediately after dusk chopping of axes commenced on the creek leading from the gorge near which I was stationed. At the same time chopping was distinctly heard on the mountain to the left of Camp Garnett. This chopping in both directions continued the whole night. On the night of the 10th, about 12 o'clock, you called my attention, awaking me, to the sound of the enemy's bugle. In about one half hour we heard the roll of their drum, and shortly thereafter another sound of their bugle. We then saw on the ridges lights as if in motion. You concluded that the enemy were moving, and ordered me to report the fact to Colonel Pegram. I did so. This was about 1.30 o'clock a. m. Thursday, the 11th. Colonel Pegram sent Adjutant Ransom to you. I remained up with you watching the movements of the enemy till morning, when you returned to camp.

OR 45


Medals of Honor awarded for distinguished services, &c.-Continued.

Megee, William ³Drummer, ³Dec.- ³Bravery in
³Company C, ³ ³action at
³33rd New ³ ³Murfreesboroug
³jersey ³ ³h, Tenn.
³Infantry. ³ ³


OR 39

DECATUR, ALA., October 31, 1864-12. 15 p. m.


Major-General THOMAS:

The following dispatch has just been received from Brown's Ferry, dated October 31, 9 a. m. :

The enemy has made his appearance opposite this place and is firing on my pickets. I heard beating of a drum a few minutes ago, but do not know exactly where it was; believe is was across the river.


OR 12

HDQRS. FIFTH REGIMENT VIRGINIA INFANTRY,
June 11, 1862.


SIR: In compliance with an order from headquarters First Brigade I make the following report of my regiment in the engagements of the 8th and 9th instant:
June 8, the drum beat to arms about 9 a. m. Our wagons were unloaded and the men cooking. Hurriedly we loaded the wagons and were ready to move. I received orders to move in the direction of the bridge near Port [Republic], which the enemy were then trying to destroy. Arriving near the bridge, I was ordered to support Poague's battery on the right of the road leading from Harrisonburg to Port

W. JONES, JR.,
Captain Tenth Indiana Cavalry.


OR 10

Indications of the enemy's approach were made known to these officers by singular beats on the drum in the enemy's lines just before dawn.

OR 11

During the night not a shot was fired by any of the command. The first part of the night a bright light as of a camp was observed, apparently 2 or 3 miles distant, in the direction of Richmond. This light diminished much afterward. At 2 o'clock this morning the sound of a drum was heard for a few minutes. It came from the direction of the


page833 CHAP.XXIII.] BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS, OR SEVEN PINES.


light, and was apparently from 1 to 2 miles distant. Whether it was a long roll or a call I cannot state. In the course of the night three shots were fired, which seemed to come from the pickets of the enemy. The were in a direction a little south of west from us, and the nearest was at least three-quarters of a mile away. At the first break of dawn our outlying pickets fell back upon their supports in the rifle pits, and Company D was then posted in the rifle pit on the extreme left.


Here are a few primary books or diaries:

C. W. Bardeen, “A Little Fifer’s War Diary,” 1st Mass
Infantry

Charles Monroe Chase, “A Union Band Director Views Camp
Rolla: 1861” 13th Illinois Infantry

James Herbert George, 10th Vermont Infantry

Charles Harvey George, “Dear Ellie”, 10th Vermont
Infantry

R. H. Hendershot, “Camp Fire Entertainment and True
History of R. H. Hendershot The Original Drummer Boy of the
Rappahannock,” 9th Michigan Infantry; also, William Sumner
Doge, “R. H. Hendershot, or the Brave Drummer Boy of the
Rappahanock,”

Harry M. Kieffer, “The Recollections of a Drummer-Boy”
150th Pennsylvania Infantry

John S. Kountz, “Reminiscences of John S. Kountz, the
drummer boy at Missionary Ridge”; located, not gotten

Julius Leinbach, “A Johnny Reb Band from Salem” 26th
North Carolina

Ludolph Longhenry, “A Yankee Piper in Dixie: Civil War
Diary of Ludolph Longhenry” 7th Wisconsin (Iron Brigade)

Augustus Meyers, “Ten Years in the Ranks of the U.S.
Army,” USI

William Richard Patton, “Drums and Guns Around
Petersburg,”9th AC, AotP

Charles B. Putnam, Diary and Journal, Vermont Brigade

Frank Rauscher, “Music on the March,” 114th Pennsylvania

George B. Ray, “Journal of…” 5th Ohio V. I.

John L. Ryno, 2/3/3, 126th NY

Charles LeRoy Sheldon, “The Diary of a Drummer”2nd
Brigade, 4th Division, 23 AC --- he was also in the 1st
Michigan Cavalry, beginning of war; those diaries exist
somewhere

John Shillich, “Drum! Drum! Drum!” 51st Pennsylvania
Volunteers

George Ulmer, “Adventures and Reminiscences of a
Volunteer, or a Drummer Boy from Maine,” 8th Maine

Delavan Miller, Drum Taps in Dixie


I would suggest the Augustus Meyers book it is very good.


Jason Simmons
Civilwarbuglertn

[john duffer]

"The drums specifically is from older times. During the Civil War they began to phased out due the new Napoleonic use of the bugle which came into use during the 1850’s."

That 1850's date may need to back up a little. Scott's Military Compendium (my copy is 1820) has a whole section on use of the bugle. I'll type more as I get time but here's a couple of excerts:


161. The advantages to be derived from the use of the bugle in a close country, or wherever men are in extended order, are obvious, if a word of command can not be heard. ……..

162. Being intended, however, only as substitutes for the voice, where that cannot reach; these sounds should never be resorted to, except under such a circumstance; as they are liable to be mistaken. They are not to be used therefore when the voice will answer.

[RJSamp]

Great Stuff Jason!

We've actually reenacted the William Carson scenario (at the Chick-a-Dusty 1999 NSA event). One thing we do NOT know about his bugling....did he sound in C or Bb (with the pigtail) on the battlefield? Our guess is in C, but we don't know.

Who made your bugle for your impression?

Also he repeated the exercise with the 2nd Iowa(?) a few minutes later.

I'd love to post your post on the bugle@yahoogroups.com (the bibliography is excellent!).

Don't forget Army Letters: 1861-1865 by Oliver Norton
and if you can get ahold of Charles Perkins Diary, or "The Hero of Medfield" a biography of Alonzo Kingsbury they are dynamite (both were 1st MASS buglers, only available at Carlisle Barracks as far as I know).

We need a bugler for Mill Springs KY end of September. Federal, Army of the Potomac, reporting to Dom Dal Bello.......

[RJSamp]

"The drums specifically is from older times. During the Civil War they began to phased out due the new Napoleonic use of the bugle which came into use during the 1850’s."

That 1850's date may need to back up a little. Scott's Military Compendium (my copy is 1820) has a whole section on use of the bugle. I'll type more as I get time but here's a couple of excerts:



And you have Duane's Light Infantry manual from 1812 with a complete bugle call SYSTEM (additive calls, so Left Flank, Run, As Skirmishers is one call derived from 3 calls). The tune for the eventual cavalry calls "To Horse" and "Boots and Saddles" appear in this manual as well (although the Infantry usage was for Forming Company and the Enemy is Artillery).

October 1861 McClellan's reorganization/training efforts, Casey's Tactic's Manual, and Cooke's Cavalry Manual (used by over 100 Volunteer Cavalry regiments (over 120,000 troopers)) are the keys to the bugling thing.

1. McClellan states that we are unable to effectively use the bugle to manuever troops.....so Division drill by the bugle will be held regularly. Not a company of skirmishers being drilled by the bugle....a 3,000+ rifle Division of Brigades of Regiments being drilled by the bugleSSS. And not just Skirmish Calls being used for Skirmishers, but the skirmish calls being used for Infantry in Line or Column as well. McClellan adds an order (November 1861) that "To the Color" shall be sounded at the head of the column when deploying into battle line. Both Division drill by the bugle and to the Color being sounded for Battle Line evolutions make it out west (and the Confederates know about it, see the William Carson MOH citation).

2. Casey's rapidly surplants Scott's and Hardee's....and it states that if a bugle is present the drum is not to be used. It also introduces a few more bugle calls, and codifies the use of a huddle and snap count system from executing orders UPON a bugle signal (the bugle doesn't give away the intentions, just signals the moment to carry out the battle plan).

3. Cooke's Cavalry manual borrows 3 bugle calls from Casey's: Change of Direction to the Left/Right (Wheel or Turn of the Column/Line), and Recall (cease drill, bring the boys back from scouting, bring Company A back from the Bridge). Now the dismounts have all the necessary calls that the infantry does.

4. Multiple Buglers per Infantry unit.....1st MASS, 53rd Mississippi, 83rd PA, 9th Ohio (Willich), 32nd IN, 5th AL Bttn, 1st/2nd USSS all start the war with multiple buglers per regiment. Other units either have trained to react to bugle call officers or a few extra buglers in them. Throw in dismounted cavalry with rapid firing breech loaders and their multiple buglers per company and all of a sudden you have a lot more buglers on the line than before. I've got a picture of the 53rd Mississippi with 9 buglers....you would assume that 2 buglers are not there at 1 bugler per company plus a chief bugler.

5. Speaking of chief buglers. More and more Infantry regiments start naming their bugler (and Paying them) as a Principal Musician/Chief Bugler at $17 per month or $21 per month...and Colonel's start having them stay by their side on battlefields. (Brigadier Dan Butterfield at Gaines Mills had 2 44th NY buglers with him). Often the band goes home in 1862, and a brass player/bugler is named the chief bugler/Principal Musician. This is in addition to the Field Music's/surgeon's helper's PM.

So even though buglers had been around in 1805AD and 1000 BC, they don't start being fully utilized until 1825 onward. The Prussian wars vs Denmark and various Germanic states utilized bugle signals....as did the 1848 revolution. David Buhl's Cavallerie Trompette signals are published in 1825, the Hanoverian Call System comes out in 1821, the ACW calls are laid down in the French Calls of 1832.... massed F Cavalry Trumpets signal the assault at The Alamo in 1836. I wouldn't say that the Mexican American War was any great shakes for buglers..... but the Crimea saw the mass employment of buglers in a tactical role.

Bull Run brought out many shortcomings of the Militia call up and Volunteer army mustering in process.....bugling being one of them.....McClellan's order lights the fuse for bugling usage during the ACW. It's a powder keg, that explodes with Butterfields system of unit prelude calls.

[hiplainsyank]

The 124th NY also had 2 buglers, at least at the beginning of the war.

[civilwarbuglertn]

I have even more on William J Carson, if you want it send me an email. I have a 1898 renunion book in which he speaks of the incident. Also he was to only private to elected an officer in the Regular brigade reunion groups. I do have part of that scanned. I have 4 primary sources on him besides his pension record.

As for my bugle, I am a perfectionist at times and it is an original piece, but it is not assoicated with an person or unit. It was listed as surpluse at the end of the war according to the provinance that I have on it.


Jason Simmons
Civilwarbugler

[john duffer]

French Calls of 1832

Not to nitpick RJ, but it's 1831. On the original thread subject, the 1831 Ordonnance Du Roi gives a complete list of drum calls but notes that "FIRE" is only for skirmishers. This switches over to the realm of opinion and speculation since proving something didn't happen is much harder than proving it did, but, I've gone through all my manuals and can find plenty of evidence for skirmishers commencing fire by drum and/or bugle but absoutely no evidence of firing by the drum (or bugle) in the reenacting manner where it's signals READY-AIM-FIRE for a volley. If I'm firing a battalion volley I want to judge the exact moment of release in case the enemy lies down, is masked by the ground,smoke or friendly troops, slows or speeds their pace, etc.