The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1913-07-03

|
rantry. Usually one was a Hfer and
one a drummer.
III boy could show himself very
skillful at the rub-a -dub-dub or tootle.
te-toot he would be taken. even II he
lacked couple OF years, a couple OF
inches and a score OF pounds to bring
hiin up to the regulation size. age and
weight This accounts for. Willie
johnson. aged thirteen, who was
awarded n medal OF honor for some
gallant act performed the second year
OF the war while he was a drummer IN
the Third Vermont: for the boy Mum.
son OF the Twenty third Massathu.
setts. who was mortally wounded a,
the battle OF Roanoke while only thir.
teen; OF Gardner. the drummer OF the
Eighth Michigan. brought home to his
anxious. waiting mother. dead from a
wound received I'm battle when he was
but little over thirteen.
Blue or gruy, II made no difference.
There were A. X. Clark. n drummer of
the Fifth Georgia regiment, who went
through the campaign weighing put
ninety-hve pounds. and little Gimen OF
Tennessee, the hero OF a classic war
lyric. who was Dursed back TO life
from an awful wound only 10 20 forth
again TO battle aud never be beard
from more.
The bfe ana drum corps OF an in.
fantry regiment formed unit In IL.
self The members were detached
from the companies In which they hao
enlisted and attached to regimental
headquarters. the same as the colo.
guard. Under chief they occupied
separate quarters and were subject to
the directions OF the colonels staff Of.
hcers. In battle the 6fers and drum.
mers. especially during the early days
OF the war. assisted the surgeons In
the care or the wounded. Often they
were with strangers. administering to
the fallen. aud errands OF mercy called
them TO distnnt parts or the field
In 1868 the Federal ambulance corps
was organized. aud the work OF giving
nrst aid and removing che wounded
was done thereafter by ambulance ut.
tendants. This arrangement relieved
the musicians OF the duty OF removing
wounded In stretchers aud left them
free 10 roam the tield Ia search OF
suffering victims.
Unlike the regimen.ai band. the reg.
imentai ife and drum corps. which
includes the regimentai bugler. has a
practical duty TO perform In the rou.
tine or camp aud march. The band
Is a luxury ana an ornament. Con.
gress discovered that early IN 1852
and legislated hundreds OF bands oui
OF existence.
The 700 then In service employed
1000 men and had already cost SIS.
100000 In addition 10 the pay OF the
men. their food and the expense OF
transporting them 1t WAS plain aI
that date that the war was 10 be
long and costly one.
The musicians were regularly enlist
ed soldiers. who could not be forced
10 take up arms and hght unless they
chose. The only way 10 abolish the
bands was 70 muster them OUT OF
service. But music was not totally
banished 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 bugle ana the ffe and drum are
essential In an army to sound the va
rious calls. which swiftly. as well as
signal the orders OF the
TO the troops. These In
clude the familiar ones OF getting
(" 'em up In the mornin'" and "go to
sleep. go to sleep. go to sleep" reveiiie
and taps. In camp certain calls are
periodically day In and day
out. but on campaign many OF them
are signals to sudden change OF ae'
ton.
With the army strung out for miles.
the bugle or drum at headquarters
starts the signal rolling. The nearest
drums or buglss repeat It. the notes
often mingling. In emergencies tns
first signal may be overtaken beforeH
aches the end OF the line by another
sent out to supersede It. The 'ons
roll beaten on the drum or the pugie
rails ITO armsw and ITO horsel' an
nounce thes sudden appearance OF inc
enemy.
The armies OF fifty years ago had no
telephone or megaphone and only an
mperfectiy developed telegraph ana
Hag signal system, Pracucahy tnen
he bugle or drum. even In the nanuS
IF a schoolboy. was an official mouth
,iece which might order men INTO
he Jaws of DEATH" also recall theln
n nick O. time "back from the "ou'"
,f hell"