The Sentinel. [volume] (Trenton, N.J.) 1880-1882, 1880-08-14
The History OF Drums.

| Drummers and their drums are to be
eliminated from the French army by the
reforming zeal of General Fare, and
that the infantry soldier will not march
better in consequence of this innova-
lion may be safely predicted, for any at
tempt he may have made hitherto to
keep step has been mainly due to the
rate Nan. Comparatively little import
ance, Nwever. is attached in France to
regularity of step, though regiment
| which makes any show of it is invari-
ably the most cheered at reviews, this
| being one of the inconsistencies preva
| lent here which it would be vain to at
tempt explaining. The minister of war
| explained before the budget committee
that his reason for adopting the change
| is because drummers are not combatants,
SO he proposes to replace them by
| trumpeters, who do come under that
category. Like the white leather aprons
| of the sappers, which have disappeared
| TO, some time, the little parchment COW
| cred cylinders are henceforth doomed
| l do not know whether the origin of the
| drum has ever been traced by some pa
.ient inquirer. We have been told that
| it comes to us from the East, and that
| the Moors first brought it into Europe
| Certain is the fact that the most savage
races have always rejoiced in their tam
| tams, and as the pleasure OF making a
| noise is inherent in human nature, per-
haps this most effective way of creating
din was invented by Adams sons or
grandsons. But the drum does not
appear to have been used in the French
| army until toward the close of the four
teenth century, and its introduction is
| attributed to the English invasion under
Edward Ill; its general adoption by
| the infantry dates back to the time of
| Louis XII, when tie Swiss element was
largely infused into the royal forces.
The drum at that epoch was q shapeless
| instrument. and served more for rallying
| the troops or for the conveyance of the
word of command than for regulating
! the step, which was far from being as
measured as it is now. Each captain
| had a drummer in his private livery
and he employed him to carry his orders
| or his instructions, as much as for beat
| ing the word of command; the drum =
mer in those days appears to have beer
was usually made from the hide of some
animal-generally of an ass though il
it be true that John Zisca, lthe avenger
of Huss, bequeathed his skin to
| his gallant companions in arms to
form the covering of drum
which was to summon them in case
| of danger, material more noble was at
least once made to serve the purpose
The drum was not used for drill ing
infantry to keep step until the middle OF
the eighteenth century, and the roll
such as we now know it was only regu-
! lated some hundred years ago, TIE
drummer's art then became more diff
cult, and to perfect it regimental schools
were established, the master of which
was the drum-msjor, who in recent
times was still such prominent and
popular parsonage in each French regi-
ment. The period of his greatest glory
was the first empire, when the drum
major of the Grenadiers of the Guard
had rank as captain and wore uni
form which cost Napoleon 5000. Under
the restoration and the monarchy Of
July, drum-majors were given to the
regiments of firemen. and even to those
of the national guard, but of late years
their prestige Inns diminished in a great
extent, and also their stature; they are
no longer such imposing clothes-horses
all lace and feathers, towering above
ordinary mortals; the race has in fact
been visibly deteriorating. Such as they
are, however, they will now disappear
from the head of French regiments with
their drums London Pos.
"None but the brave deserve the