Principle Musicians

[Alan Lloyd]

Friends

As I read the Regulations, Volunteer Regiments were allowed 2 Principle Musicians. Would this be a Drum Major and Fife Major?

I am unable to find any prescribed badges of rank for these two positions besides the sash. It seems though that many Drum Majors adopted some type of Sgt chevron. Does anyone know of any pictures or descriptions of Fife Majors wearing Chevrons?

Also, does anyone know of a source for Drum Major batons?

Thanks

[nrandolph]

Re: Principle Musicians

Sir,

That would be Principal Musician. I believe the insignia was similar to the sergeant"s, as you said, with a star in the middle. The person I would contact for that and the baton, or mace source, would be Jari Villanueva of the Federal City Brass. They have a nice website with a contact e-mail. address.

Neil Randolph
1st WV
occasional band director

[John Legg]

Re: Principle Musicians

Like stated above...

The Principle Musician Cheveron was similar to the Sgt.Major stripes, only it had a Gold star in the middle.

http://cjdaley.com/chevrons.htm

I only know that Chris daley offers the Principle Musician Cheveron. You will be able to find it from the link i gave you.

If i find some good close up pics of principle musicians i will post them tonight!

Cheers,

[ThehosGendar]

Re: Principle Musicians

Below is a photo of a principal musician of the drum corps of the 10th Veteran Reserve Corps, from LC-DIG-cwpb-04139, "Washington, D.C. Drum Corps of 10th Veteran Reserve Corps at leisure." In addition to the stripes, note the domed buttons on the sack coat.



The rank structure of a unit's musical ensemble kind of gets confusing. The whole lot, band and drum corps, is commanded by the Drum Major. The Principal Musician is the leader of the drum corps, who may sometimes be assisted by a Fife Major, but a Fife Major is someone who appears only in a drum corps and not the band.

Cheers!

[markj]

Re: Principle Musicians

The rank structure of a unit's musical ensemble kind of gets confusing. The whole lot, band and drum corps, is commanded by the Drum Major. The Principal Musician is the leader of the drum corps, who may sometimes be assisted by a Fife Major, but a Fife Major is someone who appears only in a drum corps and not the band.

In the case of Indiana, a review of the Adjutant General Report (8 vols., 1865-1868) makes things even more interesting: Fife Majors as separate entities all but disappeared after the Three Months regiments raised for the war mustered out in July/August 1861. From then on, Drum Majors and Principal Musicians exclusively appear on the rolls.

I've further noted that a significant number of Principal Musicians and musicians in Hoosier regiments did not start out as such, but were actually ground-pounders drawn (voluntarily or involuntarily) from the ranks. This was undoubtedly due, in no small part, to heavy attrition resulting from casulties, discharges, spotty recruiting, &c.

Interesting, huh?

Mark Jaeger

[Horton]

Re: Principle Musicians

Can anyone tell what kind of badge the guy on the bottom right is wearing on his cap? Could it be some kind of musician insignia?

[fiferjackdoyle]

Re: Principle Musicians

It looks like a stamped lyre pin. Another in the complete photo also seems to have one. I have an original, in German silver, and will try to post a photo. Please note, however, it is not the cheesy lyre pin sold by mainstream sutlers. It is thin stock, stamped like company letters with wire fasteners on the back. Lord has a photo of one in one of his books. I do not know of a source for reproductions.

Take a look at the drums in the complete photo close up. Great paintings, one of a drum corps being led by a drum major, the ears have something that looks like metal or mother of pearl inlay and the ropes appear to pass through metal hooks and the hoops are not drilled. I can't remember if all the hoops had hooks but, some of the drums are set up that way.

Jack Doyle

[billyreb61]

Re: Principle Musicians

I have seen at plenty of reenactments fifers and drummers walking around with corpral and sergeant stripes on. Besides the Drum Major, is all these other chevrons approtriate?

[Alan Lloyd]

Re: Principle Musicians

Friends

Thanks for the information and picture.

I have a good collection of pictures of Fife and Drum Corps, but have not been able to find any that have a second principal musician/ Fife Major wearing any sash or insignia.

I have found no Corporal or "line" sergeant chevrons in any of the Corps

There is one picture in a recent Military Images of a Man in Principal Musician uniform (sash and chevrons) holding a fife...Fife Major?

There is also a commonly published photo of a whole corps wearing sashes

Does anyone have any other evidence of Fife Major insignia?

[RJSamp]

Principal Musicians

There are TWO authorized per Infantry Regiment. One is in charge of the Field Music/Drum Corps. One is in charge of the Regimental Brass Band. See Positions in a Regiment in Scott's, Hardee's, Casey's and Dom Dal Bello's PIE. Also Kautz Customs of Service (although his writing is Cavalry centric and he gets caught up in the myriad organizational changes during the war. No brass band (as in GO 191 which sent 90%+ of the bands home) then no 2nd Principal Musician.

Sometimes (neither rare nor often) a Principal Musician was a Chief Bugler (infantry Regiment). 124th NY Orange Blossoms comes immediately to mind.

Of course the Chief Trumpeter/Bugler of a Cavalry Regiment was a principal musician in charge of the 24 trumpeters/buglers in the regiment (2 per company, 12 companies per cavalry regiment) :>> (see Kautz).

Oliver Norton in his book "Army Letters..." complains about not being a Chief Bugler and receiving $17 per month while serving as Brigade Bugler (mounted) for first Dan Butterfield, and then Strong Vincent. He has enlisted as a Private (not a musician). He would put down his bugle and pick up a rifle as needed, for example at the siege of Yorktown April 1862 when field music was tacit (drums, fifes, bugles neither played nor beaten).

Their are many different pictures of PM Chevrons.....different sizes, curves, chevron color (dark blue, faded blue to white, light blue), amaterial (tape or silk), star shape (5 and 6 pointed) and color (gold, white, light blue), and backing (premounted tape or simply sewn into the coat).

Chris Daley came up with his PM chevrons back in 2000 in time for NSA Wilson's Leak at the urging of myself and others. Looking at the majority of pictures (see Olsen "Music and Musket's" 1981 for example) our/his choices were not the majority, but are documented. I see more of this:

Light Blue Silk Tape, a white 5 pointed star, and very Large (nearly double the size of Daley's chevrons) would be PEC. Recall that Sergeant Major stripes, unlike Sergeant's/Corporals chevrons were to be of SILK, not tape.

Since the PM was part of the 'show' (see: Jari Villanueva in his Bear hat!)....it only stands to reason that the chevrons were loud and conspicous.....as much as the epaulets, shoulder brass, braid, tape, et al..... and Big light blue silk chevrons fit the portrait to a 'T'.....even Doc Severinsen would be proud.

As far as Sergeants and Corporal chevrons for musicians.....I don't see it and would love to see the research. Drummer Eggleston with the 6th Wisconsin Volunteers was a Corporal....but he carried a rifle as well as a drum. When the Field Musics fell out from the Iron Brigade on July 1st 1863 near the Seminary, Eggleston left his drum with the drum corps (who became stretcher bearers) and joined in on the charge for the Railroad Cut. He participated in the hand to hand fighting that captured the 2nd Mississippi's colors.

Good stuff guys!

[Jim Moffet]

Re: Principle Musicians

You can see the photo of one of the 2 PMs in the First Minnesota Volunteers at:

http://firstmn.phpwebhosting.com/SearchResults.php3?ID=0264

It shows a fascinating mix of uniform and insignia: Kepi w/ wreath and "US" (staff officers); Company-grade officer's frock w/ RMS-like stripes w/ star; trowsers w/ NCO stripe; and mace.

Henry Fifield was a drummer in Company C until promoted to Principal Musician August 16, 1863. This date cooresponds to the regiment receiving orders to leave the seat of war near the Rappahannock and travel to New York City to supress the draft riots. Possibly this lovely uniform was acquired in New York (?). The regiment did not had a PM between the mustering out of the band in the fall of 1861 and the post-Gettysburg period - though all companies had at least one field musician.

Of some interest is the fact that Ezra Haskins was also promoted to Principal Musician on the same date (16 August '63) - he was the company bulger in Company G - sorry no photo of Ezra seems to be extant.

Though anecdotal - I hope this helps.

Jim Moffet
Co. A, Minnesota First

[RJSamp]

Re: Principle Musicians

Excellent Jim. Many units promoted riflemen, buglers, etc. to Chief Bugler/PM.....and at least paid them $17 / month (same as cavalry). Other's were paid a full Band Leader's/PM's salary, roughly the equivalent of a Lt.

We're finding more and more regiments with multiple buglers......Berdan's was looking for 3 per company (all were riflemen first).....1st MASS had 11 buglers....83rd PA began with 12 buglers, later reduced to 2 (one was Oliver Norton)....

having one bugler for every 40 rifles would not be inaccurate for many regimental impressions.

[mrgrzeskowiak]

Re: Principle Musicians

So, If I was the only bugler in my company, and there are no other union cavalry regiments in the area.. ( I knew all the calls and played them well) Would I be considered the "Principal Musician" or "Chief Bugler" and have the similar Sgt Major rank (with a star in the middle)? and If I was, would I be considerd a Principal Musician , or a Sgt Major? Would I have charge (authority) over other lower ranks in my company? or just musicians? Thanks...

[toptimlrd]

Re: Principle Musicians

Bear in mind there are exceptions to every rule.

Someone correct me if I am wrong but in a company formation there would be no principle bugler or musician, only the bugler(s). Since the principle bugler was paid the equivalent of a Sergeant Major they would need to be on much larger organization than a company, you would not find a seargeant major in a company sized unit nor would you find a principle bugler / musician. Even if your company was isolated, it would still be governed by a larger unit (battalion, regiment, brigade) somewhere. The principle musician would be attached to the larger unit. Now a standard bugler or musician was paid the same as a private therefore no stripes would be required. The principle musician or principle bugler would have responsibility over the musicians or buglers under his watch and not the line soldiers, they had their own corporals and sergeants to take care of them. Your job as a bugler was to relay the commands of the officers via the bugle so that they could be heard at a distance and during combat, it was not the job of the bugler to oversee the rank and file, they had their hands full as it was making sure all the calls were made on time every day. Bear in mind there were bugle calls made very regularly during the day and you would stay busy making the calls and then being at the required formations. The pay structure I mentioned above comes straight out of the 1861 Army regulations. Just like todays army you were paid according to your rank regardless of the "job" you had so that is a great indicationof where buglers were regarded.

[mrgrzeskowiak]

Re: Principle Musicians

So, Is it correct to say that there should be no principal musicians, or chief buglers? CW reenactment companys don't belong to a larger brigade. They pretty much group together at events and the event coordinator assigns a CO for the entire Army, US and CS for the duration of the event. Then the companys go there seperate ways (like seperate organizations)....Im confused