"ACW Drummers" Topic

I have a few obligatory drummers for my 15mm ACW Union Army.

The Army is being based up RF&F style; 3 figures on a 1" x 3/4" base (I think, going from memory right now).

I'm wondering how or even if to use them so I was trying to find out information on a typical Union Line of Battle. Would drummers even be in the line formation? If so where would they be placed?

I had the same issue with my 20mm collection.

I have the figures now what do I do with them?

In my case I used the drummer figure as a rally marker and not as part of any unit.

I also had some figures running away without weapons that I used as rout markers.

My home grown rules are at the regimental level and only Brigade and above command stands have colors, however, I've painted up a handfull of single figure stands with flags to use as charge markers (noting the order that the charge was declared).

Finally, each regiment is made up of 5 – four figure stands and 1 single officer stand that is used as a charge marker for the regiment.

Vince

I have found that if you form all the drummers in to a three rank line and have them advance in front of your main battle line, they soak up a lot of hits that your fighting troops normally would!

No, just kidding. Like Vince, I am beginning to mount up my drummers individually and use them as order markers.

I'm going to use them as "Stationary" markers for Volley & Bayonet.

CAT, that's a great idea (but you're gonna need a lot of drummers).

When I did 15s, I just put them on the command stand with an officer and a standard bearer.

I never used them, so they've been piling up … when I decided to use them as markers, I ended up with 30 per side with a few to spare!

So you wouldn't find a drummer in an actual line of battle then?

"So you wouldn't find a drummer in an actual line of battle then?"

Nope never. They were most often boys and once the firing began they were moved to the rear and hopefully out of harms way.

My great-great-grandfather John D. Sisson was a 15-year-old drummer for Company I of the 51st Ohio Infantry in the Western Theater. Like most field musicians, his main duty once the battle loomed was to help with the wounded.

Drums would not be hear in the din of battle bugles calls were used to relay orders

@HammerHead
You are correct.

We use them singly as markers to denote better-quality units in our uber-fast-play rules….you can find them in issue 5 (I think) of the ACW gamer e-magazine.

The drummers and fifers composed what was called the Field Music of an ACW regiment (this was an entirely different body from the regimental band). They were massed in a group (up to four ranks deep depending on how many of them there were). Their normal position when the regiment was in line was about a dozen paces behind the center of the line (slightly to the left of center, actually). And they could be heard above the din of battle and were sometimes used to relay orders. They would never be part of the line of riflemen.

Ugly,

Yes, that was Issue 5.

A few did,like then Col. Francis Barlow,who thought his drummers were "shirking" and tied them to himself with his officer's sash at Antietam, supposedly telling them "Never let them see your fear,boys".

We had something on this a while back but I can't recall which thread it was in.

The gaming world appeared to be divided into those who didn't put drummers in the front rank because they knew it was wrong, those who knew it was wrong and did it anyway and those who'd begun to realise it might not be correct!

I have to confess to being in the second group but my zouaves will be correct as I don't have a drummer figure for them anyway!

For years I, like many gamers, put together command stands with one or two flags, a drummer and an officer. Now I use drummers as markers, but I still have piles of them lying around.

I like the idea of putting together a brigade of drummers, if only to with the minds of a couple of guys I know.

Hmm, in my Russian 1877 army I put the drummer with the battalion command. Reading this thread it is probably worng for battle, but it would be right for march. I mean come on guys. Most of us have battalion commanders on foot. I am not sure this was usual considering the distances a battalion could cover.

"I like the idea of putting together a brigade of drummers, if only to Bleeped text with the minds of a couple of guys I know."

Again, you can use drummers to soak up enemy fire!!!

Agreed. a bugler should be attached at the hip to every regimental officer who should be behind the regiment in line. The flag(s) should be in the center with perhaps a saegant of the color guard next to it. A group of 4 or so drummers might be behind the unit in line to help morale or help on route marches.

Does anyone out there want to trade infantry or buglers 1 for 1 for painted drummers?

I've thought about using one or more drummers to make a label stand that could go behind a unit and would contain the information that would normally go on the bottom or back of the command stand. If, like in Fire and Fury, that information was on the bottom of the drummer stand, then all such stands could simply be turned over until each unit has moved, and this would help keep track of which units have moved. I think the reason why I never did it was that it would involve a lot more work, would mean more stands to move each turn, and might get in the way of other units behind the one to which the drummer stand belongs. Our units are already way out of scale depth-wise, and this would only add to that problem.

Now there is an idea. I already use wounded figures to keep track of casulties up to 4 (where the stand comes off and is replaced with a laying-down dead figure to decorate the battlefield) and animals to keep track of routed units. (your choice of a pig, a donkey or a sheep). I see a long term project of prying off the drummers from the command stands and replacing them with sargents. Then putting two drummers on a stand and using them to mark…. troops that have already moved, or troops that have already fired or maybe both.

seems a sensible re-cycling of those unwanted drummers?