Guard Mounting at Gov. Island

[33rdaladrummer]

I always thought "Pop Goes the Weasel" would sound good as a double-quick, that is, with a single drag beat.

Philadelphia Press. April 11, 1861.

Governor's Island To-Day

What the Soldiers are Doing--Their Views of Civil War

Guard-Mounting

The band--a most excellent one, by the way-- and field music, which consists of about sixty fife and drum boys, form on parade, the band on the right; the adjutant's call is beaten, and the orderly sergeants bring on their details, at the post, in double-quick time, i.e., the drum and fife boys play "Pop Goes the Weasel,"...

[eric marten]

Re: Guard Mounting at Gov. Island

I happened to be surfing Youtube a couple of months ago, and came across a video of me playing that infamous tune. I think the Youtube video is titled "Aidan playing the fiddle", and I had no idea someone was video-taping. Its a neat way to get young people to participate in some 19th century music.

[33rdaladrummer]

Eric,

Yes, it is nice when tunes survive so long that they can be easily recognized today. On the other hand, there are the tunes which are known to have been very common that no one, including living history musicians, knows today. It wish it were as easy to revive those tunes.

Field musicians,

Below you will find a quote from the 1882 New York Times. This and other pre- and post-war articles I have found about New York State Militia drum corps, seem to indicate that some of NYSM drum corps were just as well trained as the Governor's Island regular army musicians. Just look at that list of calls!

The weekly rehearsals of the regimental drum corps on Tuesday
evenings are becoming quite interesting, and each week an additional
number of spectators is present. The manner in which the corps
executes the drill reflects considerable credit upon the instructor,
Drum-Major George W. Hill. An opportunity will be afforded to the
general public to judge the skill of the corps next Wednesday
evening, when an exhibition drill will be given in connection with
the joint entertainment given by the Duryea Zouaves and Company I,
Ninth Regiment. The course of instruction includes first call
(drummers); fatigue; assembly(revised); First Sergeant's call;
Doctor's call; drill; recall; first call for guard mount; troop for
guard mount; Adjutant's call; church call; general; rogue march;
breakfast, dinner, and supper calls; colors; salutes, respectively,
to the Commander-in-Chief, President of the United States, Governor,
Major-General, and Brigadier General; slow retreat; quick retreat;
tattoo; taps; reveille; and slow and quick marches. The corps
confines its duties strictly to the regulations and methods governing
the field music in the United States Army, entirely omitting the
Volunteer and Militia system of instruction. The corps consists of 14
drummers, 14 fifers, and 2 bass-drums.

A good account of a musician's life at Governor's Island can be found in Augustus Meyers' Ten Years in the Ranks. He even lists the tunes for the reveille, the exact same ones in the tactics manuals:

"We finished dressing, and soon heard the drum beat the "Assembly"...Ranks were formed , as at "Retreat" and "Tattoo," and the roll was called. The fifers and drummers played the "Reveille," which was a much longer performance than either "Retreat" or "Tattoo." It consisted of perhaps a half dozen tunes, commencing with a piece called "Three Camps," then "Slow Scotch," "Austrian," "Dutch," "Quick Scotch, "Hessian," etc."

The reveille didn't change much by the time of the Spanish American war either:


When the four volunteer regiments were mustered into the service, they dispensed with bands. The Eighth, however, took its drum corps, which as early as March 16th had volunteered, through the Drum Major. Drum Major Thomas was and still is (1908) an institution in the regiment. No one remembers when he was not Drum Major. Rumor says he was drummer boy at Bunker Hill, Lundy Lane and Chepultepec, and all know he marched with Sherman to the sea. Invincible against fever and malaria, he is never sick. Always busy, never complaining or tired, he is a cheerful regimental inspiration. Time does not change him, except as it adds new glories in the form of service stripes. His reveille from Low Scotch, through Austrian, Hessian, Double Drag, Dutch, to Quick Scotch, is always welcome as an eye opener. It is a tradition that the Colonel gets up before reveille for the mere pleasure of seeing Thomas lead, and of watching the drum sticks rattle. It is certainly true that the regiment was never late when Thomas led the band.


Twelve Months with the Eighth Massachusetts Infantry in the Service of the ... - Page 49
by Harry Endicott Webber - Spanish-American War, 1898 - 1908 - 391 pages

Here reveille is stated to be five tunes:

At daybreak the drum major marshals his drum and fife corps at the centre of the line, and the reveille, with scream of fife and roll of drum, arouses the sleeping hundreds, lying wrapped in their blankets under the canvas roofs. The reveille is a succession of five tunes, of varying time, common and quick, closing with three rolls, by the end of which each company is expected to be in line in the company street.

Army Life in Virginia by George Benedict