Omaha daily bee., 1919-06-29
By EDGAR STANTON MACLAY.
Author Of . history Of the United

old navy, etc.
r T would be difficult to exaggerate
the value OF the services render
ed by the United States Marine
& band in the nearly century and a
quarter Of its continuous existence,
not only in time Of war and impend-
ing death by stirring men to efforts
that may be described as super-
human, but in the piping times of
peace by soothing the personnel of
the seryiee into q sense Of greater
contentment during the long years
OF nonotonous routine and depress-
ing inactivity. 1t is in recognition of
this important service that an effort
will be made to substantially enlarge
the scope of this Organization SO as
to extend its sphere of official .activ-
ftF to eVery capital ship, navy yard
and shore station in the navy. and
the SANS effort will be made for the
army.
- \ century and a quarter of expe-
Thence has demonstrated beyond the
shadow OF doubt that music has eX-
srted , powerful influence in the de-
xeloRment OF our navy and the time
sbss saps when this influence should
he officially recognized ans, rssu-
lated under the diresten Of the Ma
Tine band 50 as to extend its bene-
shcial efects on broader and more
general lines.
!. More than 100 Years Old.
ss For more than 100 years the Ma
rine band has done splendid work;
go important and practical, that it
Jas been reflected in the amateur
rtands (new semi=affcislly recog-
iaizeN aboard our larger fighting
Graft and shore stations--and of late
years we find that vocal music has
been forging to the front in the
navy. 1t is becoming more and more
spparent that such a power as music
in the service should come in for
full official recognition and the
placed under the authorized super
Vision and direction OF the Msrins
band for its proper extension in all
branches of the navy, beth aAeat
e5nd ashore.
s~ Music, as military function, has
been recognized SO far back as the
history of man goes. The walls Of
Jericho fell to the. seund Of trump:
axts and all through Biblical records
ssMe find that music was associated
with martial enterprises. Such ac-
counts as we have Of the NEST an
cient peoples of the far east show
that they had music for all occa-
sions, both when at war and in
times OF peace; while sarages with
out q written history, had their con-
ceptions Of music in their war
{, atam-toms"-and where the Indians
4 OF Narth America were without
even these crude symbols of Eu-
/ terpe, they performed their various
ceremonial dances to the accompa-
niment of yelps, grunts and shouts
which, to them, passed for music.
Battles Won Through Music.
Some of the great battles of his
tory have been lost or won through
the influence Of music,
We have heard the legend of how
the breeze waited the sound of bag
piges from Havelock's relief col
urnn to the ears of the defenders OF
Lucknow during the Sepoy rebel
lion) and stimulated them to hold
out long enough to prevent gem
Z eral massacre of white men, women
and children. 1t was a drummer
boy who won battle for Napole IN
during the Italian campaign. The
4 tide was running so strong against
the first consul" that he ordered a
retreat to be sounded-and that was
a confession of defeat. The regular
DRUMMER had been killed and
youth, inexperienced in Nhe use of
the drum, had taken his place-aud
the only "call' he knew how to play
was the CHARGE" and it was this
that he ratified out on the sheeps,::n
with the result that, instead OF. re-
treating, the Frenehmep charged
and turned defeat into victory.
We had a similar instance in our
own navy but, unfortunately, in this
case the failure of the musician to
perform his duty, was the imme-
date cause of defeat. 1t occurred
in the sanguinsry battle between the
American frigate Chesapeake and
the British war ship, Shannon JUHe
/, 1878 At critical moment in the
struggle, the English boarded and
the American bugler was ordered
to sound the cali for boarders to
repel the enemy. But the hugler
Ga negro) was so paralyzed with
fear that he was unable to produce
a single note from his instrument
with the result that the enemy
quickly gained entire control OF the
N Chesapeake's decks and hauled
down her colors.
Makes Away With Chesapeake.
And it was only few days after
this battle that music forcibly\ dem
onstrated its military power. On
the night following this naval ac-
ton the Shannon, having the cap
tured Chesapeake in company, ran
into a dense fog while on her way
10 Halifax. Although the British
! had won a victory, they were still
far from being safe for it was
known that the powerful American
frigates, President and Congress.
were in that vicinity and could
make easy capture OF the Shannon
in her crippled condition. Only the
afternoon before the Shannon had
SIGHTED two warships which were
thought to be the American cruisers,
hut turned out to be British.
Shortly before midnight, when the
fog rendered it impossible to see
even a ships leasth ahead, the
shannon was startled by the
shrill piping Of the tune "Yankee
Doodle" so close aboard that it was
believed that the American frigates,
President and Congress, had come
upon the Shannon under cover OF
the fog. All hands were called and