Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1900-03-08
MUSIC In THE FIELD.
ITS EFFECT UPON DISHEARTEN-
ED SOLDIERS.
Stirring Strains of Martial Music Have
Saved tho Day When Defeat Seemed
In Battle.

Near-NapoIeon n Believer In Music
In Battle.
| by many whom experience has rem
dered competent to judge the military
band is regarded as the most moment
Gus adjunct of an army and to the stir
ring notes of musical instruments
sounding out when defeat seemed star
Ing hard pressed body of soldiers in
the face have been attributed victories
without number. The band first be-
came connected with the army for the
purpose of preventing the soldiers get
ing disheartened because of the
groans and cries of their wounded COM
rades, but Iatterly as national an
thems began to be written, not little
patriotic fervor was aroused by their
rendition at an opportune moment and
more vim would be put into the fight
ing.
Napoleon was great believer in the
inspiring effect of martial music in bat
tie, and So too, were the English, but
In different way. For some reason
(not easily eXplainable, considering
that at the time of the Napoleonic wars
most of the English regiments possess
ed bands, the expenses of which were
betrayed by the officers) side drums
and flies were regarded as just the
stimulus Mr.. Atkins required to kindle
his fighting instincts. The Scotch, as
now, had their bagpipes. Napoleon,
who was of the opinion that the In
dian tum-tums were superior to the
English flies and drums, provided his
armies with splendid bands, each 100
strong.
The esteem in which battlefield mu-
sic was held reached its zenith in the
Schleswig- Holstein war of 1864. The
storming of the Duppel redoubts was
such a hazardous enterprise that tho
Prussian bands played the storming
parties through the zone of fire to the
| inspiring strains of the Preussenlied.
The bands played we'll, but as victory
still hung in the balance the Red
Prince massed them. In the broad
ditch of Fort 4 five bands collected,
and, whilst the cannon roared and the
rifles cracked the musicians played
a chorale praying for the days sue
cess. The effect was, no doubt, very
| fine, but, as 1t was subsequently dis
covered that troops stationed out OF
earshot fought just as well as those
who were treated to the quickstep the
| grants were reduced When the band
masters, moreover, found that they
were expected to give a hand with the
] ambulance they resigned, and the
I, Prussians had to fight without music
in the Franco German war OF 1870.
During the Russo-Turkish war Of
| 1877, Skobeueff had hurled his infantry
repeatedly against the Turks who were
intrenched on the slopes of Plevna,
and at each attempt the Russians grew
more discouraged. They looked so
cowed when called on to make the
final effort that Skobeleff determined
to retreat. He was on the point of CIV
ing the order when his mind reverted
to the bands of the Imperial Guard
standing idly in the rear and they were
at once sent for. They began to play
the Russian national anthem and as
the strains floated to the disheartened
soldiers in the field, the effect was cleo
trical. The pallor faded from their
cheeks, light stole into their eyes,
and, gripping their rifles, they again
stormed the hill, reached the top, swept
like an avalanche into the intrench-
ments. and won the day. On another
| occasion the Russian troops began
to waver at a critical moment. The
national anthem was being played but
disorder was imminent in the ranks,
when the bandmaster gave the signal.
and the hymn gave way to one Of
Strauss gayest waltzes. The soldiers
laughed, pulled themselves together,
and faced the leaden storm.
The last time music was pressed into
the service of war was during the fierce
struggle between Bulgaria and Servia
in 1885. This time it was utilized with
such startling effect that battle music
may be said TO have expired in blaze
of glory. On the third day OF the bat
tie of Slivanica the Bulgarian general,
Bendereff, found the Servians occupy
ing such a strong position in the hills
of Dragoman that he gave orders that
every battalion, instead OF being fol-
lowed as heretofore, should march to
the attack headed by its band playing
the Ojumi MARTHA, the national air.
They did so and the Bulgarians were
able to rush the hill TO victory.