Abstract:
The American Civil War is perhaps the most written about era in American history. From the great battles to the men who fought them, from emerging technologies to political developments, from the impact on race relations to the influence on gender roles, nearly every conceivable subject has been treated by Civil War scholars. One subject that has gained interest over the last three decades is the music of the 1860s. Historians have looked at the effect of the war on musical expression on both the home-front and the front lines. Much of the research on military music has been focused on brass bands, however, leaving one important area under studied—the field musicians, the regimental drummers and fifers. Field drummers of the Civil War armies were vital to the daily functioning of camp life because they were efficient means of communication and they helped bolster morale. Interestingly, the post of field musician was an entry point for underage recruits, allowing many boys to become soldiers. This paper intends to be a comprehensive analysis of Civil War era drumming and its social implications. The author recounts the history of military field drumming in America; analyzes the techniques employed by Civil War drummers; explains the role and responsibilities of the drummer in camp and in combat; and examines the impact of war on the boys who served as drummers.
