Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

[RJSamp]

Just read this again in the 21st Wisconsin Dutch Mudsills book.... a lowly Sargeant (Otto, the author of the book) during a long, monotonous, energy sapping march.....suddenly yelled out "Drummers and Fifers to the Front!".....expecting the Field Musics to march to the head of the regiment, come up with a snappy tune, and a cadence to pull the men out of their stupor and put a bounce in their step. All good stuff.

The Colonel in the regiment behind (24th ILL) heard the yell, and had his BAND start up a tune. When they were done his field music's chimed in....and soon the column, much revived, was singing, smiling, stepping lively to the cadence.

1. Have never seen this in any manual as a command.

2. But a Field Officer immediately recognized what the shout was all about.

3. So much for silence in the ranks....

4. Have you heard of this anywhere else?

Would love to reenact this sometime/put it in our repetoire.

[dave81276]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

R.J.,

Did you go to Payne's Farm?

[J.H.Berger]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

Memoirs of a Dutch Mudsill by (Johann Heinrich) John Henry Otto. One of my favorites a MUST with many interesting details of daily life.
Sorry does not fit in here RJ but I love that book! Especially his bugle quotes;-))))

[RJSamp]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

R.J.,

Did you go to Payne's Farm?

No I did not. The quote is from November 1862 near Murfreesboro TN if that will help tie in the research.

[markj]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

I suppose the Colonel wanted something like this to happen.....

(see attachment)

Yours, &c.,

Mark Jaeger

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

Perhaps this is one of those "common sense" things that wasn't written in a manual. Buttoning up the soldier's trouser fly wasn't in the manual or Regs either, but I suspect they did it without a command (well, most of 'em).

A good officer recognizes the physical condition of his men and takes steps to help improve it. When men are flagging on a march, some good music helps pep 'em up and keep them going. The presence of the Federal City Brass Band in the Yankee ranks at Payne's Farm 2005 kept a number of men "going' on the march. As the Federal commander for that event, I did not consult a manual before asking the Principal Musician to "play something".

[Jim Moffet]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

One wonders where the field music was prior to the call "to the front." Was the brigade marching "left in front?" If so, the massed field music would probably have been at the tail of the battalion. Or possibly they weren't massed, and rather were marching with their own companies. My analysis of the sources would have the field music massed on the right of the line when the battalion formed. A specific drummer and fifer only returned to their home company if it were on some detached duty.

Anyone have sources to dispute this analysis?

Jim Moffet

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

Analysis? It's just basic facts about where folks stood when an infantry battalion was formed, and where they marched. This is drill manual stuff at its most basic level.

[RJSamp]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

Perhaps this is one of those "common sense" things that wasn't written in a manual. Buttoning up the soldier's trouser fly wasn't in the manual or Regs either, but I suspect they did it without a command (well, most of 'em).

A good officer recognizes the physical condition of his men and takes steps to help improve it. When men are flagging on a march, some good music helps pep 'em up and keep them going. The presence of the Federal City Brass Band in the Yankee ranks at Payne's Farm 2005 kept a number of men "going' on the march. As the Federal commander for that event, I did not consult a manual before asking the Principal Musician to "play something".

I would urge you to read the Dutch Mudsills book (John Henry Otto) and get into the period context before making up stuff. The "common sense" stuff you speak about is commented upon in the book.....3 Regulars die of sunstroke during a march because their officer's don't have the common sense to get the men out of the sun, take their knapsacks and coats off, and drink some water.

Otto is a THIRD SERGEANT when he yell's out the 'common sense' 'suggestion'/'command', not an officer. Obviously his Colonel, let alone his Captain, didn't have the common sense to pep up the morale of the boys during this yet another 25 mile march through hand deep dust under a beating sun. How many Sergeant's have you read about that had the perspicacity, temerity, ingenuity, brass balls, to shout out 'an order' to a Regiment?

Even more important......where have you read that "Fifers and Drummers to the Front" means strike up the music and establish a cadence? .....and this from a Third Sergeant?

More to the point, an expression that I have never read about (nor are you able to provide a citation other than 'common sense') in any period book or manual is recognized by the Colonel of ANOTHER regiment, and he immediately has his (the 24th IL Regimental band was the Brigade band) band play and boost the morale of the troops on the march.

It's quite another thing to have a Colonel order the band to play a tune. And hopefully you were reenacting a Brigade and ordered the Brigade Band to play at Payne's Farm. wouldn't want to have the historically inaccurate impression of 300 or 400 rifles with their own band for an 1864 event.

[RJSamp]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

Analysis? It's just basic facts about where folks stood when an infantry battalion was formed, and where they marched. This is drill manual stuff at its most basic level.

No, it's the hard reality that we can't begin to come up with an authentic campaign impression.....even a once every five years RR/BGR event at 5 miles max per day pales in comparison to what it would take to come up with an authentic, historically precise, and SAFE authentic campaign impression.

When the Regiment/Brigade forms up for a road march, waits for the other Divisions and their wagons to pass, and then starts up (hopefully you've added a touch to the scenario like the canteen detail or the last of the pickets is NOT back yet!) they are fairly well formed. Add 15 miles of hot sun to the march through clouds of dust and accordion stops and starts.....and start dealing with straggling, bad food, broken down muscles, boils, lice, and blisters.....and all of a sudden your infantry battalion formation at its most basic level is in shambles. Jim Moffet's point is erudite, to say the least. Your lack of analysis means that you need to read the passage to have context in your response.

To continue:
1. Jim asks: Why wasn't the Fifers and Drummer's already in the Front? (they and/or their equipment was on the wagons or they were straggling...the campaigning had worn the young musicians out!).

2. If the basic formation of a battalion in a route column is to have the drummers and fifers up front.....why yell out "Fifers and Drummers to the Front" as a command to "Play us a tune" or "strike up the band" at the basic level?

3. If the basic formation of a battalion in a route column is to have the drummers and fifers up front.....why would a Colonel in the following regiment recognize that a cry of "Fifers and Drummers to the Front" meant to "Play us a tune" or "strike up the band" when his Band AND his fifers and drummers were well in hand and already in front. And their is no need in the US Army to bring the fifers and drummers to the front as they are already there at the most basic level.

There's Lot's of good stuff to analyze in a simple command from a 3rd Sergeant on a march.....

Bottom line on this is that it's going to be a PRUSSIAN ARMY manual (1845 Exerzier Reglement) order that the Colonel and JHO both had drilled under for a decade plus each...... and JHO who had the experience and common sense to know that his 'poys' needed a lift shouted out an old Prussian Army command IN ENGLISH to get the Drummers and Fifers to 'loosen or grease the joints' and play something.

It's like the basic command to Dance:
Get up off of your A_S, come on baby let's Shake it!

[1stMaine]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

Comrades,

Speaking of musicians, and the oft-ordering them to assist the medical staff in battle, I offer the following, taken from a thesis written by Dr. Richard Swanton Vickery, Regimental Surgeon of the Second Michigan Infantry, in 1864 as part of his degree program. he drew heavily upon his wartime experiences in his work, and it is quite illuminating. A portion of it may be found here:

http://mmcwrt.missouri.org/2004/default0406.htm

For a Regiment of five or six hundred men he should have at least four stretchers--those generally issued now with light canvas bottoms, and with transverse iron bars at the head and foot, the side poles being stout enough to be firm, are the best. They have not so much of that springing motion to every step of the bearers which is so disagreeable and sometimes torturing to the wounded man. A horse-litter has sometimes been furnished to Regiments, but it was both unwieldy and inconvenient, and seldom if ever used. If it should happen that there are no stretchers, blankets or shelter tents stretched between two poles will make a good substitute. Failing even these a man can be carried, though not so comfortably or so easily, on a blanket held by four men at the corners, or seated on the crossed arms of two stout men.

Then the stretcher bearers must be looked to, of whom there should be four to each stretcher. After reserving one or two of his Hospital attendants for other duties, he [the surgeon] will have three or four of them to act in this capacity. The Drum corps and the Regimental Band, if there is one, are always on the eve of a battle ordered to report to the Surgeon for duty, but the less he calculates on aid from them the better. With a few exceptions, they are generally worthless as stretcher bearers, many of them being young lads physically incapable of such fatiguing duty.

Highlights are mine... TSK

[Jim Moffet]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

Analysis? It's just basic facts about where folks stood when an infantry battalion was formed, and where they marched. This is drill manual stuff at its most basic level.

Perhaps 'analysis' was the wrong word for this particular statement. Kevin is right. We all know where the field music lines up - it's in the regs, and the diagrams in the SoB manuals. The problems that require analysis - and further research - and to which my previous post spoke, have to do with the specific maneuvres of field music as practiced. When do they move, by what commands? No manual that I have read covers these points. We know where evey right or left company guide should be at any given point within an evolution - that's published. Clearly, every regiment that had field music developed "customs of service" and the principal musician (if they had any) must have worked with the field and staff officers and NCOs to determine when they moved from the right of the line (where they formed up on the color line); to the position behind the right center company - to name but one example. What would any given regiment's SOP have been following the command: "By platoon (or company), left wheel, march?" On some occasions with my re-created battalion, the colonel or one of his staff told the music to move to the front of the column; on other occasions (generally when the move was not to be too distant) they were told to stand fast at the rear of the column.

As enactors, we have to interpolate within the sources to determine exactly when, where, and by what commands the field music moved. By example - when the field music troops the line during a parade, no "official" army sources make any mention of how the music is to turn around at the left of the line. Should they wheel 180 degrees? To the right or the left?" Should they perform a "right about, march?" Bruce and Emmet's states that they face to the right and then 'countermarch' to the left. We know that B&E was not published in large enough numbers to have been "common." Was B&E's practice "standard" with the US Regular Army? Dan Emmett had been in the regulars pre-war. Possibly, on the other hand, George Bruce was a noted NY militia drummer. Was the countermarch something that was pulled out to impress during pre-war competitions; being more flashy then one of the other options? I for one don't know. Being a member of the recreated First Minnesota, I know that the drummers were trained in Minnesota for about 10 weeks prior to transport to Washington, but have no information on what F&D books, manuals, etc. were available in May or June 1861 in Minnesota - or what the background of whoever the 'lead' drummer who might have taken charge - The regiment didn't have a PM at all from Sept. 1861 (and he was discharged with the band) until August 1863. They served throughout the war in the Second Corps - one can imagine that they saw new things from other units, and that their practices evolved throughout their 3 years of service. I've read dozens of regimental histories, and very rarely do little facts like these get recorded. Once practices were 'standardized' they became as common as buttoning one's trowsers.

I trust that, as other AC members come across these tiny facts, nessled deep within memoirs, diaries, letters, etc., they will share them with our community. That said, they would be a reference to how one unit did a particular thing, at a given time in the war. In some cases, they will shed some light, but to assume that it was standard practice would be intellectually dangerous.

Jim Moffet

[Kevin O'Beirne]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

RJ,

I believe it's you who've misinterpreted things in this thread.

As I've often written, I certainly look forward to reading your scholarly articles on this stuff. You seem to know so muich about many topics.

[Goat]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

1. Have never seen this in any manual as a command.

3. So much for silence in the ranks....

I'm lost here. On the march, I'm not aware of this as a requirment, especially at the route step. Am I missing something?

Rob Willis

[ThehosGendar]

Re: Drummers and Fifers to the Front!

The Colonel in the regiment behind (24th ILL) heard the yell, and had his BAND start up a tune. When they were done his field music's chimed in....and soon the column, much revived, was singing, smiling, stepping lively to the cadence.

The Sergeant and Colonel are indeed subscribers to the idea that "music and gallant deeds go together" and did what experience would teach many officers to do as the war progressed, and would later be wonderfully articulated by "Field Piece" in the December 31, 1864 edition of the Army Navy Journal:

“Take a regiment of infantry that has been marched until from exhaustion it seems about to crumble to pieces – and let a band strike up: how quickly all is changed, men who could scarcely walk before, will “close up,” “dress files,” and step as lightly, and as true to the music as ever marched a mimic army upon the stage; and will seem a mighty body with but one lofty purpose, and one pair of feet.”

Does an order to strike up a band appear in a manual? No. But I think Mr. O'Beirne's quote goes perfectly here as well - "Perhaps this is one of those "common sense" things that wasn't written in a manual. Buttoning up the soldier's trouser fly wasn't in the manual or Regs either, but I suspect they did it without a command (well, most of 'em)."