Carrying Instruments on the March

[Finn McCool]

Hey all!

How common was it for the boys of '61-'65 to carry instruments on the march? And if so, how did they carry them? I have a reconstruction of a period minstrel banjo, and would like to take it to campaigner events, but am insecure about carrying it around without a case. Would soldiers store instruments when not on the march?
Also, where might I be able to find period banjo cases, reproduction or otherwise?

Thank you,

Finn

[GburgSldr]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Finn,

I do not know much about the subject, but I do know that the National Museum of American History has a stunning example of a soldier carried instrument: http://americanhistory.si.edu/collec...ct/nmah_687491

The write-up for the object states "At 24 years old, Solomon Conn, a son of a hotel keeper in Minamac, Indiana, enlisted as a private in Company B of the 87th Indiana Infantry on July 26, 1862. He purchased this violin in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 1, 1863. Conn carried the violin while serving, although his family admitted that he never learned to play. Written on the back of the instrument are the names of places where the soldiers of the 87th were either on duty or engaging the enemy. More place names are written along the left and right edges of the sides. Among the more well-known battles the 87th took part in were the Battle of Chickamauga in September 1863 and Kennesaw Mountain in June 1864. By the end of the war, the 87th Volunteers had lost 283 men, most of them to disease."

Although he may not have played, it appears as though Solomon Conn carried it without a case for most of the war.

[LibertyHallVols]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Great link! Thank you!!

If I may, I would like to add to the question as the father of a drummer-in-training.
1) How were they toted on the march?
2) How were they protected from weather (rain)?

Thanks!

[Finn McCool]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Thomas,

That is a fantastic piece. It is amazing that it has been able to last this long.

Finn

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Wick, if I remember correctly, (Ivan please correct me if i am wrong here) drums had painted cloth covers or bag of sorts to protect it from the elements.

[Finn McCool]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Tyler,

is there any evidence of soldiers using painted cloth bags to protect personal instruments (banjos, fiddles, etc.)?

[Tyler Underwood]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

I will be honest Adam it hasn't been something that I have ever looked into before.
The accounts that Thomas posted are the first I have ever seen for personal instruments too.
Very interesting though!

[CompanyWag]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Logic tells me that early on, if a soldier had found an officer sympathetic to the good morale produced by music in camp, a place might be found in the regimental wagons for a fiddle or banjo...at least until the necessities of active service and reduced baggage required the space for rations and ammunition.

[Silas]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Have you ever seen a wagon filled with boxes as it pounded down a road at any speed above a trot? Looks like moving pistons on multiple v-12 Jaguar engines. Anything in a wagon not in a sturdy box is going to be destroyed in short order. Even sturdy boxes get destroyed over time.

Now let's talk about officers and baggage. Properly protected musical instruments take up valuable space in wagons where there isn't sufficient space for war related necessities such as ammunition, water, hay and rations. There are many positive orders regarding the size of allowed items as well as prohibitions against items deemed unnecessary to the good order of the brigade, division, corps or army. Banjos and violins don't make the list of authorized items. If found, they were subject to being dumped by the side of the road.

If you want a banjo on the march, you're going to have to carry it and be willing to accept the damage which will certainly occur along the way. There are also the nights of less than perfect sleep from having to keep that banjo under covers with you. You'll have to accept the need for extra first, second and fifth strings. Those are the ones most likely to snap when you forget to loosen the pegs and drop the bridge before bedding down.

For any events you're going to be doing in and around the Bay Area, you're not too far from your vehicle or some gracious person's tent. However, if you want to do a serious, multi-day event which is outside walking distance to a stashing place and is only supported by wagons, you've got some issues to tackle. I know. Been there and done that.

[CompanyWag]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Then consider this oft-referenced quote:

"There is an interesting story by a Mr. A. Baur in his series of articles called "Reminiscences of a Banjo Player", published in the February, 1893, issue of S.S. Stewarts "Banjo and Guitar Journal". Baur had learned the banjo as a boy in the early 1850s and had joined the Union army early in the war. He writes "...In 1864 there very few regiments in the service that had more than one wagon for the whole regiment... Strict orders were at all times issued that no baggage must be carried for an enlisted man in any of the wagons...Where theres a will, theres a way, and a few of us managed with the help of a friendly teamster to stow away a tackhead banjo and an accordion...

Owing to poor facilities for keeping the instruments in order, the instrumental part of our entertainments were always the poorest. Sometimes it would be weeks before we could get a (banjo) string, and if the banjo head was broken, it took much time and maneuvering for one of our party to steal into the tent of a drummer and punch a hole in a drum (head) near the shell, after which we would watch that drummers tent with eagle eyes until he took the damaged head and threw it out, when one of the gang would pounce on it and bring it to camp in a round about way. Owing to their thickness, the drum heads did not make very good banjo heads, but they beat nothing clear out of sight. In addition to the banjo and accordion, we had a set of beef bones and a sheet iron mess pan answered for a tambourine. Taking into consideration our surrounding and the disadvantages under which we labored, we had some tolerably good shows and at any rate satisfied our open air audiences..."

[CompanyWag]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

IMO, if a tin cup hanging from a haversack is an irritant to the man standing next to him in line...carrying a banjo would not only be a hazard at an about face, but would also severely interfere with the efficient use of a rifle-musket. I'm sure some attempted it, but at the first action it would be dropped, lost and gone forever...assuming the man hadn't tired of carrying the extra encumbrance in the first 20 miles of march.

[Finn McCool]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Silas,

Thank you for the response. In doing some basic research, I could not find any photographs of original banjo cases, but many modern-made ones based on what historical cases might have looked like. From what I understand, few banjos cases existed, only those that were custom made for minstrels. I did find this Martin guitar (though slightly after our period) with an original case: http://www.guitarbench.com/2009/04/0...itar-database/
Would it be too far-fetched to infer that a case for a banjo might be similarly constructed? I might have to suck it up and only take my bones and hope some other sap brought along an instrument; at least until I can afford to get a simpler tackhead that I would not mind getting beat up.

Finn

[JonCW1984]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

As a drummer, I find there is no true protection from the elements.
1) The extra slack rope on the bottom of the snare may look nice, but you can also throw it over your shoulder for marches. Just make sure to remove the drum sling first. I can't think of a single drummer who doesn't do it, unless you cut off all the excess rope (not sure why you would do that). I don't know of a specific source to steer your direction, however, someone else probably knows better than I.

2) If you are using calf skins for your drum, there is no true protection from the elements. Humidity without rain will mess with the drum. The best thing to do is make sure the drum head is good and dry. This means putting it near the fire to dry it out. You can wrap it in a gum blanket under the tent, but it will only provide so much protection. If you are not using calf skins, you have no problem with the weather, but you do with authenticity.

Hope this helps.

[Danny]

Re: Carrying Instruments on the March

Carrying an instrument like a guitar or banjo on the march is a reenactorism, there being no indication it was common.

A few accounts exist that particular officers or their staff would have banjos or guitars (after all they had wagon space alloted to them), and some accounts or images seem to indicate their presence in camps, but that's not the same thing as claiming it was common to see banjos or guitars carried on the march, especially by privates. A few more instances and surviving examples of violins that seem to have been carried on the march. To confuse the issue, photo studios would take pictures of uniformed soldiers with props, weapons and musical instruments, whatever they wanted.

Bottom line, because it's cool many of we foot soldiers sort of justify having period pattern banjos and guitars in our camps because we can point to one or two period examples. That's not the same as having proof of context for the impression we claim, and at least most of us won't leave spectators with the idea that is was typical.