Hoisting the Garrison Flag

[Alan Lloyd]

Friends

I have found little regarding the hoisting and lowering of Garrison Flags in period texts. Ashworth 1812 says the colors were hoisted at the Troop, but I have nothing in CW manuals.

Does anyone have answers to the following questions?

1) When was the Garrison flag raised?

2) Was the Call" To the Color" played on bugle or Fife/Drum during the raising.

3) Was any other music played?

4) Same Questions for lowering the flag

Thanks

[33rdaladrummer]

Re: Hoisting the Garrison Flag

Tough question, Alan.

I did find this when searching for flag raising drum fife in google books though...interesting story about a Missouri fifer but almost completely unrelated!

"J. Helber, of lawful age, being produced, sworn, and examined on the part of John G. Scott, the contestee, deposeth and saith as follows:

Question. Who did you vote for for congressman in August, 1863 ?

Answer. I think, if I recollect right, I voted for Mr. Lindsay.

Question. Were you living in Farmington in the spring of 1861?

Answer. I was.

Question. Were you present in Farmington at the time of a secession flag being raised?

Answer. I was present at the time the secession flag was raised here—that is, I was at my house.

Question. Did you beat the drum or play the fife on that occasion?

Answer. Not then; I had quit.

Question. Did you beat the drum or play the fife that day ?

Answer. I did not.

Question. Did you play the fife on any occasion of raising of flags or meetings ?

Answer. I played the fife for the home guards here ; as soon as the home guard company became a secession company I quit playing the fife for them.

Cross-examined by Mr. Lindsay.

Question. When you played the fife for the home guards, who invited you to do so ?

Answer. It was generally known that I could play the fife, and all the one that could play here, and was generally called upon on occasions of the mustering of the home guards.

Question. Did not some of the citizens here, after you had found out the company to be a secession company, compel you to play the fife for them?

Answer. Dr. Means came to me on one occasion and told me the best thing I could do was to go and play that fife for them, as " we fellows down here are snspicioncd anyhow." After that time I refused to play for them any more, and broke my fife.

Question. Did not Mr. Beal also urge you to go and play for them?

Answer. I cannot say as to that; Mr. Beal and I did not agree very well; he came into the post-office one day and bought twenty-five cents' worth of stamps, saying " he did not want any more, as he expected the damned government would be broken up before he used them."