The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-09-21
PASSING OF TIE DRUM.
Et VIE Soon Disappear In Connection
With Army Life.

PASSING OF TIE DRUM.
It VIE Soon Disappear In Connection
With Army Life.
Lieutenant Con Marrast Perkins
of the United States Marine corps
writes an article entitled "The Last
of the Drums" for st. Nicholas.
Lieutenant Perkins says:
I think few know that of all the
time honored equipments Of wa1
which these days of military prog
ress have left us the drum is the old
est; but, like the sword and the bay
onet, the drum is fast disappearing.
It's companion, the fife, hallowed by
traditions of valor even in our own
history, from Lexington to Gettys-
burg, is already gone, and another
decade will still forever the inspirlt-
ing martial music of the drum.
What boy has not felt his pulses
thrill and his heart swell with pa
triotic pride and martial ardor while
gazing upon the we'll known picture
of the Revolution. the "Minutemen
of 1875" forsaking the plowshare
and flying to take down the old
fintlock at the tocsin Of war-the
throbbing of the drum and the shrill
screaming of the fife, sounded by
two SCARED veterans, bareheaded,
white haired and in their shirt
sleeves, marching through fields and
along the roads, calling the patriots
to arms2
Every New England schoolboy
has read the story of Abigail and
Elizabeth, the sisters Of Newbury-
port who during the Revolution re-
PEELED alone an attack of the British
by beating furiously an old drum
and blowing a fife. The British
troops, who were about to land, hur-
ried back to their ships, thinking a
whole army lay in ambush to re-
pulse them.
Thus did fife and drum drive off
the enemy and save a town from
pillage 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 adopt
ed by armies. The drum of today
differs little, and in appearance
only, from the earliest form. 1t con-
sists, as every boy knows. of two
pieces of parchment or batter heads
stretched over the ends of a hollow
cylinder, and is struck with sticks.
For ages this instrument has been
known among savage tribes and
barbaric nations, who use its weird
music to accompany their religious
rites, as well as for war purposes.
The tomtom of the Sioux Indian
is a good example Of primitive
drum.
In civilized warfare the drum has
ever been connected with deeds Of
martial valor, and its voice is dear
to the heart of the soldier who has
followed its pulsing into the deadly
fire of battle, or event in reviews and
military parades, when rank upon
rank sweep up a street keeping per-
feet alignment and step to the
drums inspiring beat.
1t has found a place in history
through the daring bravery of mora
than one beardless boy who has
sounded at the critical moment the
pas de charge or rally" just in
time to turn the tide of battle.
Johnny Glenn, the drummer boy
of Shiloh, "who beat the rally with
out orders when his regiment had
broken, panic stricken, and thus
helped to save the day, was made an
officer for his heroism and is now o
major in the United States army.
In fable, song and story the drum
has ever kept pace with the most
valiant deeds of mon. Rudyard Kip
ling's pathetic little story of 'sThe
Drums of the Fore and Aft, y two
courageous drummer boys who at
the cost of their own lives led the
charge and saved the honor of their
regiment when routed by the
Afghans, tells of deed such as is
to be found in history as well as IN
fiction. More than once has the
drum claimed a place in the front
rank of storming battalions and led
desperate charges IN the van Of a
victorious army.
What worder, then, that we look
sorrowfully into the future, when
battling will no longer be inspired
by the "war drums throb," for we
know that the advance Of military
science, with all it's death dealing
machine guns, magazine rifles and
its smokeless powder, will surely
sound the knell of the drum.