"Buglers in the Civil War" Topic

"Of all the memories veterans recalled of their Civil War experience, countless reminiscences of music can be found in thousands of letters and journals of soldiers who fought on both sides. Music played a large part in the war and the field music of buglers was not only necessary for the telling of time and duties in camp but also guided the actions of troops in battle. These buglers were not part of the brass bands that were common at the beginning of the war, but rather musicians who along with fifers and drummers enlisted with a regiment of infantry or cavalry.

Most of these musicians were young boys (some who lied to get in under the 18 year age requirement) who played bugles, fifes and drums. Army regulations of 1863 allowed recruiters to enlist those "such as the recruits as are found to possess a natural talent for music, to be instructed on the fife, bugle, and drum, and other military instruments…care should be taken to enlist those only who have a natural talent for music." A school (The School of Practice) for the training of these young musicians existed at Governor's Island in New York and manuals were available for the learning of fife and drum music. Among these manuals were Ashworth's Fife Instructor, Howe's Drum and Fife Instructor, Hart's New and Improved Instructor for the Drum, and Bruce & Emmett's The Drummer's and Fifers Guide. Included in many of these manuals were also bugle calls…"

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Amicalement
Armand

Daniel Emmett, one of the co-authors of the Bruce & Emmett guide, was the composer of "Dixie" and it appears in the guide as originally written, complete with cakewalk.

There was also a school of music for western troops located in Newport, Kentucky. The signature tunes for both schools of music, entitled "Governor's Island" and "Newport" respectively, were also included in the Bruce & Emmett guide.

As a point of trivia, when it was time for Lights Out, the duty drummer was to go to the parade ground and tap his sticks together three times. It became known as "The Taps."

It is nice that this makes the very important distinction between the Field Music and the Bands. Bands were for entertainment. The Field Music had important duties to perform (although they also provided entertainment). You often hear it said that during battle the musicians doubled as stretcher bearers and such. This may have been true for the bandsmen, but not the Field Music--they had their regular jobs to do.

Thanks!.

Amicalement
Armand

My Great Great Grandfather on his second enlistment chose to be a musician rather than Infantry (his first time that was his role). By the end of the war he was his regiments Principle Musician.

In the modern army any unit that has a band for entertainment (they don't really signal any longer), the band is added to the divisional headquarters guard.