Dusky Night & Dawning of the Day:Proper in Reville?

[aplett]

A question we've had in our corps is whether Dawning of the Day & Dusky Night should be played in the Reville sequence. In B&E, Emmet notes that the two tunes should not yet(as of 1861) be considered to be part of reville. Does anyone know if these tunes were incorporated into reville during the war, or if field music played them?

Thanks,
Andrew Plett
Oregon Fife & Drum Corps

[Smokey Toes]

Re: Dusky Night & Dawning of the Day:Proper in Reville?

Andrew,
Good Question. First of all we need to know what was in effect for the instruction of musicians and everyday use prior to the publication of Bruce and Emmett's. Once done, we can then take a close look at B&E and make comparisons.

Scott's Tactics - "This system was that which was used to train all of America's soldiers until the adoption of Hardee's in 1855, and still retained much currency thereafter in pre war militia units. An understanding of Scott's is most important to understanding how the citizen soldier was trained in preparation for this terrible conflict." (The Drill Network http://home.att.net/~Rebmus/SCOTTSTACTICS.htm).
According to Scott's, it was in this order: Points of War (Played with 3 and 7 stroke rolls), Slow Scotch, Austrian, Hessian, Dutch, Quick Scotch.
Notice: Prussian is absent (but is present in B&E) as is Dawning of the Day and Dusky Night.
So if this was the standard in place for the instruction of musicians and soldiers, then it would be safe to say this was how it was played.

Hardees Tactics 1855, US Army- Not Mentioned

Gilahams Manual 1860(for Volunteers and Militia of the United States) - prescribes the exact order as set forth by Scott's.

1861 Revised Regulations, US Army - Not Mentioned.

So, Reviele remained pretty much unchanged until B&E was published in 1862, where we see the addition of The Prussion, Dawining of the Day and Dusky Night. There is no mention when, or by what reg the Prussion was added.
The Note on page 36 reads: "The Dawning of the Day and Dusky Night must not be considered as belonging to the Reveille, at present; but the Author has placed them in their present positon, so that the learner may become acquiainted with them. In the U.S. Army they are omitted." (According to Gilham's Manual for Volunteers and Militia, they are not even listed.)

If you read furhter in B&E you find this in reference to the Tatoo (page 46), "The several pieces as laid down in Scott's Tactics for Tatoo are as follows: Three Cheers, Doublings, 6-8 Quick Step, Doublings, Common Time, Doublings, Dutch, Doublings, and Double Quick, ending with Three Cheers and Doublings. But, when there is a desire on the part of the Field Music (With the sanction of the Drum Major) and when it does not interfere with other duties, they can add such pieces or their equivalent placed in position as above , to beautify or embelish it by additions."

Though not specifically stated for The Reviele, it is stated that the Drum Major has the discretion to "add pieces or equivilants to beautify or embelish" that which was set forth or prescribed in Scott's and Gilham's Manuals.
In my opinion, this is what was done with the insertion of these two pieces to Reviele in B&E (Why else would he place them where he did?). With as many volunteer musicians as there were on both sides, all being under the instruction and direction of their own Drum Major's, as well as the new availability of B&E in 1862, I'd wager that they played whatever their Drum Majors set forth, making either rendition correct.
This is important to bear in mind because the pre-war days of centralized instruction such as the one at Governor's Island were over. They were amatures who had to hit the ground running in camps spread across the North and South. The preperation and instruction the volunteer bands recieved was incredibly decentralized, which means that standardization was probably non-existant at best.
Best,

[theotherguy]

Re: Dusky Night & Dawning of the Day:Proper in Reville?

Excellent info, Smokey Toes

Jay Hollenbeck

[John Keller]

Re: Dusky Night & Dawning of the Day:Proper in Reville?

I think that Mr. Emde provides great information and makes great points, and I agree with him whole-heartedly. His comments provoke a lot of thought.

Despite my better judgement, I butt my head up against the various arguments for what is correct for the camp duty, including Reveille, and what is not. Whenever I believe I'm on the trail of some guidance for what is correct, I run into contradictory, squishy information. I always fall back on (and I paraphrase here) the notion that field music was governed "as much by tradition as by regulation." Try as I might, I've been able to come up with no better guidance for choices of pieces for the camp duty than that.

Scott's Tactics is a great foundation, as Mr. Emde points out: Points of War (Three Camps) Slow Scotch, Austrian, Hessian, Dutch, and Quick Scotch.

Now, let's look at six official manuals spanning the time period from 1812 to 1869. This list is far from comprehensive, and does not include regional militia manuals that undoubtedly had broad and significant influence on how militias and early war regiments learned the camp duty. Many people smarter and more learned than I will differ from my interpretation, so I recommend that musicians listen to lots of different opinions. It gets squishy today, as I'm sure it did during the Civil War, so bear with me, and take note that this is just one interpretation.

One of the earliest manuals -- Ashworth in 1812 -- contains Three Camps, The Scotch (which is what we call Slow Scotch), The Austrian, The Hessian, The Dutch, and The Scotch Repeat (which is what we call Quick Scotch). All those tunes in Ashworth are recognizably similar to their counterparts in B&E, although the Ashworth tunes are simpler to play.

Next we get to Nevins from 1861. Nevins has Three Camps, Slow Scotch, The Austrian, The Hessian, The Dutch, and Quick Scotch. All these tunes are similar to those in Ashworth and B&E with the exception of the Quick Scotch, which is the "Fairy Dance" version of Quick Scotch, not that of B&E and Ashworth. It's also interesting to note that The Dawn of the Day appears in Nevins as part of the reveille, with no comment on whether or not the tune is correct for the reveille.

Also from 1861 we have the Howe manual, which contains Three Camps, Slow Scotch, The Austrian, The Hessian, Old Queen Dutch, sometimes called The Quick Dutch, and Quick Scotch. In Howe, Three Camps is notey and bouncy like B&E. The other tunes are reasonably similar to what we know from their counterparts in B&E, except the Quick Scotch, which is the Fairy Dance version like Nevins. Howe also includes Kinlock, and notes that this tune is "often played, but not really a part of the Reveille." The Howe Reveille also includes The Dawning of Day, The Fifer's Delight, and Quickstep, with no mention of whether these are or are not correct for the Reveille.

Next we get to 1862 and the Col. H.C. Hart's manual, as well as the B&E. In Hart's is the Three Camps, Slow Scotch, The Austrian, The Hessian, The Dutch, and Quick Scotch. Hart's is where things really get dicey if we're looking for trends toward standardization.

In Hart's, Three Camps is reasonably similar to what we know from B&E, only a simpler version. Slow Scotch, however is General Bank's March, which is not similar to the Slow Scotch in the other manuals. In Hart's the Austrian is The Girl I Left Behind Me, while The Hessian is almost identical to what we all know as The Austrian from the other manuals. In Hart's The Dutch is General Grant's Troop, which sounds nothing like The Dutch in the other manuals. Hart's Quick Scotch is the Fairy Dance version similar to that in the other manuals. Hart's also includes Bonny Doon and The Dawn of the Day in the reveille, with no notes of what is and is not correct.

B&E, meanwhile, has what we all know, and doesn't need further comment here.

We could also consider the Strube manual from 1869, if we like. Strube has The Three Camps, The Slow Scotch, The Austrian, The Hessian, The Dutch, and The Quick Scotch. All those tunes are similar to what know of from the B&E, except the Quick Scotch, which is the Fairy Dance version that we see in Nevins, Howe, and Hart's. Strube also includes The Dawning of the Day in the reveille.

We can all draw our own conclusions from what appears in these manuals. If we're looking for consensus, it looks like Prussian and Dusky Night are odd tunes out, as they are unique to the B&E reveille. The Fairy Dance version of Quick Scotch would win by a vote of 3-2 (with one abstention from Hart's). Meanwhile, similar versions of The Dawning Of The Day appear in five of six official manuals spanning the years 1812 to 1869. Except for the guidance in Scott's Tactics, I think we would be hard-pressed to say that Dawning of the Day is absolutely not part of the reveille.

Nothing appears to be set in stone, so I think we need to do as they did in the old days, and let tradition, as much as regulation, guide our choices for tunes in the reveille. Having said all this, I think Mr. Emde is spot-on in his conclusion: "The preparation and instruction the volunteer bands received was incredibly decentralized, which means that standardization was probably non-existent at best." The same can be said for field music in today's reenactment community. As things change, so much they remain the same.

John Keller
Principal Musician
6th NHVI
Milford, N.H.

[aplett]

Re: Dusky Night & Dawning of the Day:Proper in Reville?

Thank you for both your replies, they confirmed what I was thinking.
-Andrew Plett
Oregon Fife & Drum Corps

[markj]

Re: Dusky Night & Dawning of the Day:Proper in Reville?

This is important to bear in mind because the pre-war days of centralized instruction such as the one at Governor's Island were over. They were amatures who had to hit the ground running in camps spread across the North and South. The preperation and instruction the volunteer bands recieved was incredibly decentralized, which means that standardization was probably non-existant at best.
Best,

For whatever it's worth:

PERSONAL.--CHARLES DECAMP, late Drum Major of the 14th Louisiana Regiment and lately from the 57th Virginia, having finished his engagement, is now ready to teach Drummers for any Regiment that may require his services. I have been for ten years in the French Army and consequent a well-drilled soldier. For further information, enquire at Mrs. E. A. LEE's[,] No. 83 Bollingbrook street, Petersburg, Va., or at this [Petersburg Daily Express] office. my 8--3 [m? illegible]

(Advertisement in Petersburg VA Daily Express, 9 May 1862)

For the record, according to the CW Soldiers and Sailors System, Decamp does show up as a drummer in Company D, 14th Louisiana, after having initially enlisted as a private. Decamp also appears as a Drum Major in "Heath's Division" [sic: almost certainly Henry Heth's division]. The 57th Virginia, incidentally, was initially commanded by Lewis Armistead of Gettysburg fame. Decamp's ad is intriguing since he may have offered drumming instruction with "a French accent."

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Smokey Toes]

Re: Dusky Night & Dawning of the Day:Proper in Reville?

Mark,
Thanks for the account. It seems to me that after the initial (and very large) rush to arms subsided, and the war continued, both sides became much more adept at standardizing their forces. By this I mean the raising, training and equipping of raw recruits and conscripts. Going from a standing army of fewer than 20,000 soles, to one of over 500,000 is no small feat. Even more impressive was the Confederates ability to do the same from scratch. Taken in that context, I still submit that the training of field musicians during this period was grossly decentralized for two reasons. One, they simply did not have the ability to do it. Two, it wasn’t exactly the highest of priorities. However, as the war fighting infrastructure of both sides improved, so did their ability to address issues that may have been overlooked or ignored in the initial call to arms. It seems that brining in an experienced musician (like DeCamp) for the instruction of the raw recruit was one method employed to provide some semblance of standardization as the war progressed. Another example of this can be seen in the June 1864 correspondence below. It is in reference to the raising and training of Colored Troops in Kentucky.

Lexington, KY June 29th, 1864
Hon. E.M Stanton
Secretary of War

General Chetlain and myself arrived here yesterday. I leave tomorrow to see General Burnbridge and shall proceed to Camp Nelson, where the Negroes are coming in rapidly. As soon as I can station detachments at the places indicated in my order to protect the Negroes and afford them facilities for coming to these camps, recruiting will go forward rapidly. A regiment of 1,000 has just been organized here and there are 300 men for a second. Some 1,500 men are said to be at Camp Nelson. I wish to have at this place a school for field music. Am I authorized to employ a suitable teacher for the drum, fife, and bugle, to be paid from appropriation for collecting, organizing and drilling recruits? Such music is very necessary.

L. THOMAS
Adjutant-General.
OR. Series 3, Volume 4, Page 460.

Best,

[joewhitney]

Re: Dusky Night & Dawning of the Day:Proper in Reville?

First of all, when you talk about "official manuals", you have to leave every fife or drum tutor out, including:

ELIAS HOWE - BOSTON 1861 “ARMY & NAVY FIFE INSTRUCTOR”
ELIAS HOWE - BOSTON 1861 "HOWE'S US REGULATION DRUM & FIFE INSTRUCTOR"
KEACH, BURDITT & CASSIDY - BOSTON 1861 "ARMY FIFE & DRUM BOOK"
SEPTIMUS WINNER - PHILAD 1861 "PERFECT GUIDE FOR THE FIFE"
BRUCE AND EMMETT - NEW YORK 1862 "THE DRUMMER AND FIFER'S GUIDE"
COL. H. C. HART - NEW YORK 1862 "NEW & IMPROVED INSTRUCTOR FOR THE DRUM"
SIMPSON & CANTERBURY - BOSTON 1862 “UNION DRUM & FIFE BOOK”
ELIAS HOWE, JR. - BOSTON 1863 “HOWE’S NEW FIFE WITHOUT A MASTER”
SEPTIMUS WINNER - PHILAD 1863 “TUNES OF THE WORLD FOR THE FIFE”
WILLIAM NEVINS - CHICAGO 1864 "ARMY REGULATIONS FOR THE DRUM, FIFE & BUGLE"
ELIAS HOWE - BOSTON 1864 "BUGLER’S & FIFER’S CALL BOOK”

These were primarily written, produced and sold by bandsmen. Although some of them had some military experience, most of it was militia related, and they generally moved in their own circles, as shown in the variations between their manuals. None of them had any official sanction by the US (or CS) government.

The only official field music authorized was that found in the tactics manuals. Prior to Scott's 1835 Tactics, only the titles of the music were included. Beginning with Scott's and continuing well into the 20th century, the same virtually identical plates were used for the sheet music in the US manuals. Considering the hundreds of thousands of the manuals that were produced prior to and during the war, compared to a tiny handful of B&E's, that tells you where the emphasis should be placed in determining what music was most commonly played.

The first fife and drum manual to receive official endorsement was Strube's. Note however that reviewer comments in it indicated it still had some small deviations from the official US duty.

Among the band-influenced manuals, Howe's various manuals were without a doubt the most widely published, understandable given he was the country's biggest music publisher. So the general rule in determining what versions of tunes and beats to play is first look at the tactics manuals (Scott's and Casey's since Hardee's "light infantry" manual only had bugle calls). Then look at the Howe manuals and see wher ethe similarities lie. In general, the simplest versions were the most commonly played, since during wartime, the army just wanted to sign up functioning musicians as soon as possible, and get them to play easily recognizable calls.

Which brings me to B&E. Thanks to the popularity it received in the 1880's when the most copies were printed, and even more popularity it received when New England civilian F&D corps made it their "bible", it has come to dominate Civil War reenacting far beyond its original influence. The music in it is some of the best fife and drum music ever printed, but its difficulty is far beyond what the typical Civil War field musician. I only know of one copy that can be documented as having actually been used by a drummer during the war. The fact that the Prussian exists only in B&E says a lot.

Even if its authors' associations with Governor's Island were factual (and Sue Cifaldi has cast serious doubts on both Bruce & Emmett's claims of service), the school was for the musicians of the regular regiments only, a tiny fraction of the musicians that served in Civil War armies. Even during the war, the school would typically have an enrollment of only fifty musicians.

In looking at the music for, say, Reveille, one must keep in mind that there really was little standardization beyond the basic structure found in the tactics manuals. The Three Camps was the first Reveille commonly played in American armies. Around 1805-10, the practice of playing a medley of international Reveille tunes and beats began, with the list in Ashworth's being representative. But often there would be tune substitution, such as Kinlock, Girl I Left Behind, Fairy Dance, Dawn of the Day, Dusky Night, etc. Some manuals even mentioned substituting tunes, and playing a shorter Reveille during bad weather.

Joe Whitney

[markj]

Re: Dusky Night & Dawning of the Day:Proper in Reville?

Greetings,

Here are two more ads from the Petersburg VA Daily Express, which both appeared in the 21 May 1862 edition:

NOTICE--WANTED FOR THE 22d Regiment Georgia Volunteers, two first rate Musicians, a Fifer and Kettle Drummer. To good Musicians, very liberal wages will be given.
Apply immediately in person or by letter, to

Col. R. H. Jones,
22d Reg't Ga. Vol.,
Petersburg, Va.

my 20-9w

Note: You can even see a photo of R. H. Jones, along with info on the 22nd GA here:

http://www.mindspring.com/~jcherepy/22d_ga/22d_ga.html

*********

BUGLER WANTED -- A good CAVALRY BUGLER can find a situation with liberal wages by addressing

JOHN F. COOPER
Captain, Company A,
Burrough's Battalion
Petersburg P. O.

my 19-6t

**********

These two ads clearly show that decent musicians were worth their weight in gold and, in a number of cases, units, such as the 22nd Georgia, that went off to war without field musicians cast wide nets to obtain them even after they deployed.

Some of you might be interested to know that I own an original 1843 edition of "Howe's Instructor for the Fife" (got it off eBay for a song!). My personal, and wholly unscientific--but logical--opinion, is that field musicians vexed by what manuals to use or what tunes to play did what they do best: make deals. I can certainly envision a meeting of fife majors and drum majors within a brigade, the better to sort out and standardize conflicting versions of tunes and calls.

Regards,

Mark Jaeger