Polk County observer. (Monmouth, Polk County, Or.) 1888-1927, 1913-05-27

Tie battle VI kUanOke while only thir-
teen; Of Gardner. the drummer of the
Eighth Michigan. brought home 10 his
anxious, waiting mother, dead from a
wound received in battle when be was
but little over thirteen
/ Blue or gray, it made no difference
I There were 4 X CLARK, a drummer Of
I the Fifth Georgia regiment who went
+ through the campaign weighing out
( ninety-dve pounds. and little Ginen Of
/ Tennessee, the hero OF a classic war
. lyric, who was nursed back TO life
. from an awful wound only 10 20 forth
again 10 battle ard never De heard
from more
The dfe and drum corps OF an in
fanuy regiment formed e unit In il.
self The members were detached
from the companies in which they mad
enlisted and attached 70 regine1taI
headquarters. the sane IS the co.or
guar1 Under s chief they occupied
separate quarters and were subject TO
the directions Of the colOneTs stat Of
1cers- In battle the ifers and drum
ners. especially during the early days
Of the war, assisted the Surgeons in
the care OF the wounded often they
were with strangers. administering TO
the fallen, aud eTrauds Of mercy called
them 10 distant parts OF the Ted
In 1853 tie Federal ambulance cor1s
was organized, and the work Of giving
first aid and remortng the wounded
Was done thereafter by ambulance ST.
tendants This arrangement relieved
the musicians Of the duty Of removing
wounded in srreiche-s and EFF them
free 10 roam the Geld in search OF
suffering victims
Unlike the reg1men.aI band. the reg
mental dfe and drum corps. which
includes the regluental ougler, has :
practical duty to perform in the rou
tine Of camp and march. The hand
Is a luxury ana an ornament Con
greSs discovered that early in lstG
and legiSlated hundreds OF bands our
Of existence.
The 200 then in service enoloye1
1900 men and 1ad already cost S5.-
10000 in addition TO the pay o. the
nen. their food and the expense @.
transporting them II was plain 81
that date that the war was to oe Z
long aud costly one.
The musicians were regularly enlist
Cd soldiers who could not De forced
10 take up arms and Gsht unless they
chose. The only way TO abolish the
bands was 70 muster them our OF
service But music was not totally
nauiShed from the army camps Bri-
gade bands were formed. and some
regiments or their officers or patrons
at home paid the expenses and retain
ed the music
The busle ana the fife and drum are
essential In an army 10 sound the va
rious calls, which swiftly. as well as
muSicauy. signal the orders or the
commander 10 the troops These in
clude the familiar ones Of setting
EN- up IN the moruin and go 70
sleep, 20 TO sleep. 20 10 sleep reveilIe
and taps 10 camp certain calls are
sounded periodically day 10 and day
out. but on a campaign many Of them
are signals 10 sudden change Of &C
dOn
With the army strung out for miles.
the uuEle or drum al headquarters
starts the signal rolling. The nearest
drums or ouElsS repeat II, the notes
often minElius In emergencies the
irSt signal may De overta5e0 beforett
'eacheS the end or the line by another
sent out 20 superSede IT, The long
roll" ueaten on the drum or the bugle
calls To arms" and To horSer' an
louuce the sudden appearance OF the
enemy
The armies OF ffty years ago had no
Telephone or meCauhune and only an
une-feet.y developed teIv-raph and
1l- signal system Practically then
DE bu-'e or drum. even % the hands
b, q sshso.oJy. was an oEciaI mouth
lie-e which might order men into
DE Jaws of DEATH also recall them
10 u..k % time back from the mouth
20 bell"