Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-13
BRASS BANDS IN BATTLE
A Feature That Has Been Obsolete for Fif-
teen Years.
Martial Music Has Frequently Put
New Life Into Dispirited and
Df~hearIened Troops.



picking their way over the bodies of dead
aud wounded in the very thick of the
tight. thu. instrumeulallSts blowing away to
drown the cries of anguish. and the drum
II, rS-I,art:Cuiarly the bass drummer
pounding the parchment as if to vie with
The roar of the artillery and the crash of the
exploding shells Such incidents were some
tines real. but more often Imaginary For
example. the famous taJieau portraying the
meeting between Wellington and Butcher
contains a mounted hussar band, who are
represented blarlEg forth a triumphal
march in nOnor of the occasion whereas
the introduction of this highly effective
group is proved to have been an artistic
Liberty pure and simple. That there was.
however. one British cavalry band present
"a the battle of Waterloo may be deduCed
from the fact that bass drum. embaZOned
with the royal arms and bearing the in
S"ripti0n VII Queens own Hussars.' was
found by a Belgian the field and taken
away by him as a memento of the day.
After his death it was given by his son 10
The local band at BUOndaeI. where it prob
ably played a conspicuous part in many
village fete. from whose possession it pass
81 int" the hands of Mahlllun & Co, who
Mt it I" the Royal Military Exhibition of
l>'st However, in furnishing a brief con-
L-sred narrative dealing with the presence
"t hands in battles il viii first of all be
necessary TO explain how comparatively
modern thing military music really is
The hlare. the crash ami the rousing sug-
-t'rtlF'r"SS associated with martial lnStru-
rTrrtdti"U We're quite unknown in western
EEruPr- before the beginning of the eigh-
f-'H'h century. at which period Frederick
IL OF Prussia received a present from
tG' Sultan Of Turkey 4 complete Janissary
hitlHt The characteristic instruments of
those ~"mi-harbarous troops were cymbals
;rlans.eS and bells. besides fine variety
-. drums The procedure of the performers
thcmSulteS was as follows: As near to the
lighting line as possible the bandmaster
W uld plant a pole surrounded by a cres-
cent Ini decorated with one or more horse
tails. according to his pacha's rank. Around
This standard the instrumentalists would
gather. and then the melody instruments,
""r$l~tinG of zarnas-hard reed instruments
with cup-Shapcd mputhpieceS-wOuld start
"f; with a sustained penetrating Squeal the
2'"'nI"HtnGrnt being supplied by the re-
r-aind"U of the band shaking and clashng
the percussion. while the kettle drums ten
"r drums and bass drums beat the time
A. tHr ASI1tic performers in Frederick
III = import i contingent died off their
riIC's Were taken by Prussian reed ami
l's@NS iE~'rurne ntdlists, with the result that
lz wa~ thru for the first time discovered
Tow " II the after b'erded with the per-
I">>r"'.. This accordingly was the genesis
'i IT, modern military band. For many
3raT~- however Prussia was The only ma
f."r that conducted its martial music on
tf,~. lines, for in other armies the few
iar'i~ which existed We're composed of
chaos elariu-'s. horns ami bassoons, with
t.f ANY PERCUSSION arcC impairment.
y 10" british army the guards bands.
t.f-- Introduced in 1f>-I were constituted on
'l' E"r-I't rcuS~i09 model down to so late 4
r-r.r" s'~ l>'". IN which year. owing to a
+-'~ff", II discipline, the Duke of York
-'s5 ever from Germany a full band of
'-.f f5-iuUr il.~trLmF EtalISts, equipped with
r-r--. 49, rh-g<- tTun- psts, trombOneS and
-.tit rs. t1@s- lar with staff of colored
me- -u "'.tE the Cyr.t ais. ''tambours DE-
f-~ I'- lL% 10 carry crescent. or. ii
s.t~ Nu. garry '-rrsd. 2; -.Iinglng johnny"
e~ '..- stan ard If tn" band. Hitherto. it
~g't.rl h- d1ii-d. III" three regiments OF
-r,r- ZIa rs- ltl b.yu Tho only corps permit
i-'rta=- irIo. alton tn war office granted
p.rtrst--l"r. "a regiments Of the line to raise
ts-rti<- IIovld- ! that the pay of profess
i5il I'~tru-'1r and the cost Of the in
SEDIMENTS should he borne by the officers of
'-. h corps. These bands We're rarely II
'.r tak-u IN active service. and therefore
rHr n elmer MS as : rule marched To the
IL rf the drums and flies. or. iii the
OF III" Iii@hlanGers. TO the bagppes.
A. rral sly during The Napoleunic wars it
@f..- ar fu be .-X.Te n'tiy doubtful if any of
TH- British r @iul,Uts engaged were played
90. Ia T.rtcry in the field itself. On the
OH. hand. however. the French armies
u. r. -varywh r. acc' mpanied by magnit
'."r h"u'.Ss each consisting of as many
"r' AJarr"i performers who did undoubt-
'ulE arlUIr" tho m-n with their stirring
strains. Ild who. still playing in their
-sf.!Zar. aEiIS. vertured as near to the fig lt-
i.- .rs..- possible.
f. III, Cr1mea the British. French and
7 rk!-'f armies were accompanied by their
t..jl - hIlt. in the case of our own troops.
20 least the baudsmeTl. on arriving at the
t5ulI- HPp.ar % have discarded their in
nun. MS and taken their place in the
TaE ~ rs active combatants. Certain it is
q al - th" close Of The campaign the gov
ssUIr- Az i-tTrnired uIon the entire recon-
~.s--ti'n If the band system of our army,
r. circumstance probably prompted by the
.-t, up u The banGs which the war had
u.r.t~4OI.t-
TH- S,hl.-w ig-Holstein campaign of 1864
III rkrd by incident recalling the
t..DC- hands at the commencement of the
.Gtury- At the StOrning of the DuppeI
g-'!puhIs h. the Prussians the storning
i.tT-i-- Wer" played to their respective
d" t1''J~- right through the zone of fire. by
f.-- stirring music Of the "PreussenIied."
gain. IN seeing that victory was his the
.s-'t Prince ordered up the massed bands
-.. I.tH T.. Dtum- In the broad ditch to
TIE Tar "f fort No. a. writes DR.. Russell,
--Ie bands Of four regiments had estab-
-u.i Themselves. and while the Cannons
E-:' Numbering close behind them they
j. aye. .. "!."riie for the days success The
effect f- striking. ana the grouping of the
.-''p- ftrd II the musicians. with their
-:Ltr' uniforms and bright Instruments.
- .rt 80 The deep trench against the
-t-..-s-tri-l-I rdrthworN. and by palisades
t.--,- goo sheltered and shivercd by shot
v.~ ~ - picturesque" Nevertheless the
'N.' fiI-l. lt waS not repeated by the victprs
.-i-l-r the Austrian or French campaign.
!:. ril- II : true. their full band accom-
tr-..-' -y.-y FrUSSian and Saxon regiment
" .-'.- 'T TIE march. but once the fighting
;....i begun. the musicians were converted
-...T r'."uitnre men pro ten. or attached
t''i'.~--.Fe- {" the bearer companies. Ac-
'.E...r--y s. Sc have 10 wait for the Russo
3 TfN--- war OF 1NII before finding military
b "I~ asas-u bringing their Influence To bear
'- -E -fl' -t!yc 20 discipline and herpism.
~6i'-' II WIS the general who utilized
'..1r with this object. and the occasion
~.-- rgr ii one If those bloody fights
-- t.r.. i--.su=. when Che flower Of the Rus
-.'n -...'-ftry had been driven from their
T.f' -.- with terrible slaughter To re-
'." 'a.' fortunes of The day appeared
i..r-=~ f"r the men We're thoroughly
n'-. fHi hung back wis II rallied BY their
".'' "-. At this crisis the celebrated gem
..-l ra."mbr rod the bands Of the Imperial
'..a'I -t+TG-H2S idle in The rear and these
Fffr silly Summoned. Soon the strains
'. ':. t;E@~ian rational anthem burst forth
ti',..- frr rattle Of The Turkish musketry
.'.t fa'- scream Of their shrapneI and 81
n.|.' 4--.ru=-y The spirit Of the dsheartcned
4-.t..a'i-'~ underwent startling trans
i"rtf'tt-'H- They Ilucl.ed up courage again.
r'~H. "'..i chez rfUlly To the word OF com
nan aHt finally succeeded in hurting the
''."IHt back from the position he had won,