More Work Than Play: Insights from the Letters of J. Herbert George, Civil War Musician

The American Civil War has been described by many as the most musical of all wars. Be it popular songs of the day or marches and other band music, civilians and soldiers alike were surrounded by music. Today this music is enjoyed as much as when it was produced, and no Civil War book, television program, or Hollywood movie is complete without reference to "The Battle Hymn of the Republic," "Dixie," "Home Sweet Home," and so on. It is somewhat surprising, then, that although the music from the Civil War remains such a cornerstone of our historical image, the musicians who produced such music seem to have drifted into relative obscurity. For obvious reasons, the drummer boys of both the North and South have captured a certain portion of the popular imagination, but only at the expense of the remaining majority of men, namely the buglers, fifers, and especially band members. These men played a significant role throughout the war, one that has been trivialized and even overlooked. For example, one impression holds that these musicians had a rather enjoyable time during the war, sitting around the campfire making music with their friends. Such attitudes, especially when combined with the standard image of a doe-eyed twelve-year-old with his drum slung across his shoulder, have lead subsequent generations to romanticize the Civil War musician into an almost bipartisan hero. Underlying such beliefs is a basic lack of understanding of both the efforts required to produce music and the many additional responsibilities expected of enlisted musicians. Civil War musicians were at work day and night fulfilling their multifaceted musical responsibilities, as well as those required of all soldiers. One cannot overstate the passion that Civil War soldiers had for music, making the enlisted musicians an indispensable part of the war effort. An examination of the letters of J. Herbert George, principal musician of the Tenth Vermont Volunteer Infantry, reveals that at least one Civil War musician was kept extremely busy.1 George's musical responsibilities were daunting, to say the least. Though at first an enlisted musician, eventually he was placed in charge of all field musicians for his regiment. George also was called upon to play numerous instruments for a variety of performance settings. As leader of the band, he also was in charge of training and rehearsing the group, acquiring and maintaining instruments, and even copying and arranging music. In addition to these musical duties, George managed to fulfill many of the more traditional undertakings of soldiers at the time, be it picket and guard duty or assorted camp chores. During combat, George and his band were assigned to assist the surgeons, a gruesome task at best. Despite the potentially overwhelming diversity of such duties, George excelled in this environment, gaining promotions in recognition of his accomplishments and eventually turning his skills into a career following the war. James Herbert George was born October 28, 1843, in Newbury, Vermont, and grew up on a small farm with three brothers and two sisters (Keith George 478-79). Music seems to have run in the family. All four of the George sons - Herbert, Charles, Osman, and Jeremiah - performed in the regimental band after enlisting. Herbert George was described as a "musician from the cradle," and by the time of the war, owned his own cornet, band uniform, and an impressive collection of band music (Wells 555). When he came of age, George moved to Greenfield, Massachusetts, and was trained as a telegraph operator. Like so many other young men of the time, the outbreak of war lead George to return home to offer his services to the Union cause. Following President Lincoln's call for volunteers in 1862, George enlisted in Company G, Tenth Vermont Infantry on August 15. The regiment spent the first part of its service in guard duty on the Potomac River around Washington, DC. In June 1863, the regiment joined the Army of the Potomac and participated in most of the principal engagements in the Eastern theater from that time on. …