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I think these fellows would be surprised to know how they might have more direct influence over (reenactor) drummers today than they did when they were originally trying to make money selling drum music during the war.
History of the Military company of the Massachusetts, Volume 3 By Oliver Ayer Roberts
"The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company celebrated its two hundred and twenty-first anniversary on Monday, June 6, 1859, under circumstances pleasing and satisfactory. The weather was admirable — the air cool, the sun bright, and the walking excellent. At sunrise the drum-corps paraded under the joint command of Capt. "Dan Simpson" (1854) and Lieut. "Si Smith." They beat the reveille at the residences of the Company officers, and through the streets of the city, stopping on their route at the residence of Capt. John Green, Jr. (1835), the chairman of the finance committee. The hospitality of the generous captain detained the drum and fife corps beyond the allotted time, but they arrived at the armory in season for breakfast at nine o'clock A. M. The names of the corps were: fifers, Josiah Smith, Edward Kendall, Ira Canterbury, Jonathan Stanley; drummers, D. Simpson (1854), Major Page (186o), Andrew Simpson, A. J. Casserty"
There is a letter in the Clements Library, University of Michigan. In it Corporal John P. Reynolds of the Salem Zouaves, wrote on Saturday, June 15, 1861 when in camp with the 8th Massachusetts:
“At nine o’clock guard mounting took place and soon after the line was formed on the lawn and morning parade was gone through with, after which we formed hollow square, and Major Poore stepped into the centre, leading by the hand the infant son of the Colonel, a bright little fellow of four years, and dressed in a neat little full-dress-uniform of blue with brass buttons, and sword sash and belt complete. Upon motion of the Major he was unanimously chosen a member of the Regiment and styled Corporal of the Regiment and received with hearty cheers. An hour’s drill in battalion movements then followed, at the end of which we were dismissed but the musicians remained upon the ground to practice, and Private Hill and myself remained with them occasionally trying our skill with the drumstick.
I had often listened with considerable interest to the famous French Beat (said to be) composed by that world renowned drummer Dan Simpson of Boston, and performed by him at the annual muster of the militia in Massachusetts, with a wonderful degree of accuracy and skill, and by a little practice at various times had become so familiar with it, as to be able to execute it on the drum after a style of my own. I accordingly ventured to try my hand at it at this time, and quite elicited the attention of the musicians who desired to learn it, and asked my assistance to enable them to do so. This was asking [I teach the drummers a new beat] a good deal of me for I was no drummer and probably had but a poor idea of the art. But as they seemed to be favorably impressed with the beat and were determined not to let me off, I gave them all the aid in my power, and with their knowledge and practice, they put together from my efforts a very desirable beat which afterward became quite popular with the Regiment, and was performed by them at dress parade daily for some time.” (pp. 48-50.)
They definitely were trying to cash in on the need for drummers:
1861 O.W. Keach, B.A. Burditt, and A.J. Cassidy. The Army Drum and Fife Book. Boston: Oliver Ditson and Co., 1861. Pp. 64.
1861 Keach, O.W. and B.A. Burditt. The Modern School for the Drum. Boston: Oliver Ditson & Company, 1861.
1862 Simpson, Henry and Ira Canterbury. The Union Drum and Fife Book. Boston: Oliver Ditson and Company, 1862. Pp. 64.
Also found this from 1875, which makes me scratch my head. Maybe Howe (also of Boston) wasn't copying the 1861 works above but was working with them rather. Maybe that's why they let him use their printing plates.
Modern School for the Drum ... O.W. Keach, E. Howe, and B.A. Burditt
Also I see how why K,B, and C got Edward Kendall's endorsement. Kendall was in the same corps as Cassidy.
"It is edited by Keach, Burditt and Cassidy, and recommended by the late Edward Kendall as the most thorough work of the kind. It is already adopted thoughout the country...As a correct book for Camp Service it cannot be excelled."
History of the Military company of the Massachusetts, Volume 3 By Oliver Ayer Roberts
"The Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company celebrated its two hundred and twenty-first anniversary on Monday, June 6, 1859, under circumstances pleasing and satisfactory. The weather was admirable — the air cool, the sun bright, and the walking excellent. At sunrise the drum-corps paraded under the joint command of Capt. "Dan Simpson" (1854) and Lieut. "Si Smith." They beat the reveille at the residences of the Company officers, and through the streets of the city, stopping on their route at the residence of Capt. John Green, Jr. (1835), the chairman of the finance committee. The hospitality of the generous captain detained the drum and fife corps beyond the allotted time, but they arrived at the armory in season for breakfast at nine o'clock A. M. The names of the corps were: fifers, Josiah Smith, Edward Kendall, Ira Canterbury, Jonathan Stanley; drummers, D. Simpson (1854), Major Page (186o), Andrew Simpson, A. J. Casserty"
There is a letter in the Clements Library, University of Michigan. In it Corporal John P. Reynolds of the Salem Zouaves, wrote on Saturday, June 15, 1861 when in camp with the 8th Massachusetts:
“At nine o’clock guard mounting took place and soon after the line was formed on the lawn and morning parade was gone through with, after which we formed hollow square, and Major Poore stepped into the centre, leading by the hand the infant son of the Colonel, a bright little fellow of four years, and dressed in a neat little full-dress-uniform of blue with brass buttons, and sword sash and belt complete. Upon motion of the Major he was unanimously chosen a member of the Regiment and styled Corporal of the Regiment and received with hearty cheers. An hour’s drill in battalion movements then followed, at the end of which we were dismissed but the musicians remained upon the ground to practice, and Private Hill and myself remained with them occasionally trying our skill with the drumstick.
I had often listened with considerable interest to the famous French Beat (said to be) composed by that world renowned drummer Dan Simpson of Boston, and performed by him at the annual muster of the militia in Massachusetts, with a wonderful degree of accuracy and skill, and by a little practice at various times had become so familiar with it, as to be able to execute it on the drum after a style of my own. I accordingly ventured to try my hand at it at this time, and quite elicited the attention of the musicians who desired to learn it, and asked my assistance to enable them to do so. This was asking [I teach the drummers a new beat] a good deal of me for I was no drummer and probably had but a poor idea of the art. But as they seemed to be favorably impressed with the beat and were determined not to let me off, I gave them all the aid in my power, and with their knowledge and practice, they put together from my efforts a very desirable beat which afterward became quite popular with the Regiment, and was performed by them at dress parade daily for some time.” (pp. 48-50.)
They definitely were trying to cash in on the need for drummers:
1861 O.W. Keach, B.A. Burditt, and A.J. Cassidy. The Army Drum and Fife Book. Boston: Oliver Ditson and Co., 1861. Pp. 64.
1861 Keach, O.W. and B.A. Burditt. The Modern School for the Drum. Boston: Oliver Ditson & Company, 1861.
1862 Simpson, Henry and Ira Canterbury. The Union Drum and Fife Book. Boston: Oliver Ditson and Company, 1862. Pp. 64.
Also found this from 1875, which makes me scratch my head. Maybe Howe (also of Boston) wasn't copying the 1861 works above but was working with them rather. Maybe that's why they let him use their printing plates.
Modern School for the Drum ... O.W. Keach, E. Howe, and B.A. Burditt
Also I see how why K,B, and C got Edward Kendall's endorsement. Kendall was in the same corps as Cassidy.
"It is edited by Keach, Burditt and Cassidy, and recommended by the late Edward Kendall as the most thorough work of the kind. It is already adopted thoughout the country...As a correct book for Camp Service it cannot be excelled."
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