The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-18
THE MUSIC THEY HAD.
A Veteran Soldiers "Reminiscences of
the Diversions of the Civil War.

the Diversions of the Civil War.
New York Sun.
Our regiment" said veteran of the civil
war, started out, as [ imagine great ma
Jority of the volunteer regiments did, with
out band. We had the regulation fife and
drum corps of ten drummers and ten fifers,
a drummer and a flfer being attached to
each company. We had good drummers
apd good filters, and when this body of mu-
sicians marched down the line at dress pa
rade 1t made fine showing and played
good music, but still we didn't continue in
that way very long. Before the regiment
had been out many months we drew bugles,
and pretty soon we discarded the flies and
substituted the bugles and had drum and
bugle corps
These bugles were just the plain regu-
lation bugle without keys, the kind that
about in stories; though a man that knows
how can get pretty melodious sounds out
Of an army bugle, too. We had some men
in the regiment that could play a bugle and
the first time they turned out at dress pa
rade, when the musicians marched out
down the line and back, with bugles instead
of flies. They were not perfect yet; they
f1atted and sharped more or iess IS they
swung down the line, but there wasn't a
man in the regiment but what was proud
After that, always, until the regiment
was mustered out, all the calls in our regi-
ment We're sounded on the bugle, the va
riouS calls in camp, and the calls in action
as well, and 1t wasn't long before our bu-
glers could blow with precision, and at the
same time with the true dash and spirit;
perhaps not with just the touch of the reg
ulars. They put into the notes of bugle
just q little something that seems possible
only to those who make business of it,
but no man who heard our bugles would
ever mistake them for other than the
bugles of veteran troops.
Finally we had a banda regular brass
band. After had been out about two
years and half we raised money in the
regiment officers and men contributing, and
sent North and bought instruments. We had
band of sixteen pieces, and we were
mighty proud of it. too. There was sea-
son of practicing again, with the band as
there had been with the bugles, but not so
long. We had some men that could play in
atruments, and then our experience with the
bugles was useful to us. Some of the
buglers took instruments, and so the band
turned out promptly, taking the place of
drums and bugles for parade music. 1t was,
the band turned out for the first time on
parade. We were no children, but 1t GER
tainly did tickle us immensely to see a brass
band own brass bard marching down
the front of the line.
"Our band was excellent, and when we
concerts sometimes in the evening, regular
band concerts, such as you might give in
the open air in summer at home, and men
used to come from other regiments to listen
to the music. With occasional brief inter-
walls, when there were not men enough to
make fair showing. we had the band con-
tinuously from the time it was started I'M
year and a half later. 1t was a source OF
great pride and comfort and gratifica ton to
US always, but l am not so sure but what
the bugleS came closer to us, after ALL