The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1899-09-01

The Orum Major.
The infantry regiments OF the Unit
cd States are to have drum majors
hereafter. according to the provisions
OF the Army bill passed at the last SEES
sion Of congress The fact that while
the gorgeous giant with the big cane Ia
an important part OF the state militia
dress parades, he has had no place In
parades OF United States infantry 10
not 30 strange when one hears the ex-
PLANTATION. THE thing il simple
enough" said a military antiquarian.
You have only to remember that In
the United States regular army there
are no hussars and no Polish lancers.
Just walt a moment and think can
show you the connection. II In rath-
er paradoxlcal connection. but II ia
there. all the same. The general idea
Ia that nothing Is to be found in tho
United States army that was not in
the British regular army In the four
teonth year OF the reign OF George Ill.
BY that OF course mean nothing In
the way Of ranks and disciplinary ar
rangoments. One or two things may
have dropped out OF use-the rank Of
cornet for example. which was for
merry the lowest commissioned rank
In the cavalry both In the American
and In the British army. On the other
hand they have several things that we
have not. II you will take the trouble
TO look II up you will ind that every
one OF these things has been introduce
ed into tho British army since our war
OF Independence. Tho Polish lancer
became famous under Napoleon |. and
the British straightway turned half n
dozen or so OF their regiments OF light
Dragons Into lancers. not only equip
ping them with lances. but also giving
them the Polish caps with the square,
nat tops. which they stiii
full dress parade. II was about the
same time that they took up the namo
hussar. which is Hungarian anu comes
down all the way from the days OF Ma
thias Corvlnus. the Hungarian king.
whose old stirrups were sold the other
day. ! see. for sl.T00 With the name
OF hussar the British army took the
dress OF the Hungarian cavalier-the
fur-coyered busby, the Turkish dolman
or flying Jacket. trimmed with fur and
hanging loose on the left shoulder.
and so on. They have given up the
nying Jacket but the rest OF the uni
form they still keep, II was all lmi-
tated from the French. who had had
hussars two generations earlier. Mu-
rat, the spectacular marshal OF the
empire. made II famous and popular.
30 far so good. We have most things
that they had In l776. not what they
took up in Napoleon's time. But ono
thing their standing army had which
We have not had heretofore. and that
10 the drum major. Naturally enough,
too. There would be no drum majors
In the continental army. because tho
eontinentals were only the old con-
stitutional English militia. represent
ing the shire and borough ievies OF
the middle ages. transferred to the
American colonies. while the standing
hrmy-with their red coats, the royal
iivery-were an extra constitutional
body OF troops that began to exist I'M
der the Stuarta-mere royal retainers
In fact Now the drum major was first
heard OF in England in the reign OF
Charles /. He was an cticer OF the roy
al household originally. and his title
was drum major general. The stuarts
were very fond OF Initiating the
French court. and whole century
earlier than the days OF Charles ! the
king OF France had had his drum gen
eIal and drum colonel to teach the
royal drummers. 1t was only after
Charles had had his head cut on that
Louis XIV reduced his drum generals
and drum colonies to drum majors.
But the drum major retained the au-
thority to chastise his subordinates.
and the big cane to do It with. which