The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1897-08-27
PASSING OF THE DRUM.

think few know that of all the
time-honored equipments Of war which
these days of military progress have
left us, the drum is the oldest: but, like
the sword and the bavonct. the drum
is fast disappearing. It's companion,
the fife, hallowed by tradition of valor
even in our own history from Lexing-
ton to Gettysburg, is already gon".
and another decade will still forever
the inspiriting martial music Of the
drum.
What boy has not felt his pulses
thrill and his heart swell with patriot
ic pride and martial order while gazing
upon the well-known picture of the
revolution, the Minute Men of '7G"
forsaking the plowshare and flying to
take down the old fintlock at the toe
sin Of war-the throbbing Of the drum
and the shrill screaming of the fife,
sounded by two SCARED veterans, bare
headed, white-haired. and in their shirt
sleeves, marching through fields and
along the roads, calling the patriots to
arms!
Every New England schoolboy has
read the story Of Abigail and Eliza
beth, the sisters of Newburyport, who
during the revolution repelled alone an
attack of the British by beating furi-
ously an old drum and blowing fife.
The British troops, who were about to
land, hurried back to their ships, think
ing the whole army lay in ambush to
repulso them.
Thus did fife and drum drive off
the enemy and save whole town from
pillagc and ruin.
The military drum is supposed to
have been introduced in Europe by the
Moors and Saracens, during the middle
ages, and was quickly adopted by
armies. The drum Of to-day differs
little, and iii appearance only, from
the earliest form. 1t consists, as every
boy knows, of two pieces ofparchmel.i,
| or battcr-hcads. stretched over the ends
of Il hollow cylinder, and struck with
sticks. For ages this instrument has
been known among savage tribes and
| barbaric nations who use its weird mll-
sic 10 accompany their religious rites,
as well as for war purposes.
The tom-tom Of the Sioux Indian is
4 good example Of primitive drum.
In civilized warfare the drum has
ever been connected with deeds of mar
tial valor, and its voice is dear to the
heart of the soldier who has fired It's
pulsing into the deadly fire of battle, OF
even in reviews and military parades,
when rank upon rank sweep up 4 street
keeping perfect alignment and step to
the drums inspiring beat.
1t has found place through the
daring bravery Of more than one beard
less boy who has sounded at the criti-
cal moment the pas de charge or 'ral-
ly" just in time to turn the tide OF
battle.
Johnny Clem, the ''drummer-boy OF
Shiloh" who beat the rally without OF,
ders when his regiment had broken
pane stl ickcr, and thus helped to save
the day, WAS made an officer for his
heroism, and is now 4 major in the
United States army.
In fable, song and story the drum
has ever kept pace with the most val.
liant deeds of men. Rudyard Kipling' s
pathetic little story of THE Drums OF
the Fore and Aft" two courageous
drummer boys who, at the cost of tho il
own lives, led the charge and saved
the honor of their regiment when rout
ed by the Afghans, tells of a deed such
rs is to be found in history rs well as
in fiction. More than once has tho
drum claimed place in the front rank
of storming batta ions, or led desper.
ate charges in the van of victorious
army.
| What wonder, then, that we look
sorrowfully into the future, when bat
tling will no longer be inspired by the
"war-drum's throb;" for we know that
the advance of military science, Will
all its death-dealiny machine guns
magazine-rites, and its smokeless pow.
der, will surely sound the knell of tn,
drum.
| Mrs de Fashion-So Clara Petty
| L,r ,,,r,;oJ \Tr NnJJo \Tb,- I,,'e