I have a two part question. one, what was the purpose of the drummer in civil war/revolutionary armies?

Answer 1

Drummers were used to set marching pace. It was common to have hit a beat ever time or every-other time the left foot hit the ground. In this manner it was easier to set the pace of marching units. When marching in tight formations it really helps that everyone is in step, not that your steping on the shoes of the guy in front of you.

The drummer was also used to send signals to the troops, there often common beats for alarm, advance, and changing formations. Add to this the bugle and banners, this is how communication went out before radio. An advantage that drummers would have is that when units would join together the drummers would still be able to keep the same beat allowing for the troops to keep the same step.

But they was was mostly for keeping order on the march. Drummer boys would often be responsible for watching the packs, refilling canteens, and other minor duties.

Answer 2

very different war tactics. the drummers kept the beat for marching many miles per day. during the civil and revolutionary wars they would march for days on end to get to the enemy and have a fight on a battlefield. the drummer helped keep time for their marching. as for the officers.... in the old wars there weren't communications like there are today. then, the officers would stay to the rear calling out orders and watching the action unfold and making decisions about the enemy from the background. now, they have eyes and ears everywhere and can make the orders from much more comfortable quarters. although, when they are in iraq, they aren't staying in 5 star resorts....they're pretty much in the sh*t with the rest of their troops.

Answer 3

There isn't very much information about the drummers during the civil war. The boys were to young to fight in battle so they became the drummers, marking cadence for the regiments whether is was for battle or sounding retreat. The boys were used for a number of differ ant things calling the troops for a meeting, taking messages to and from differ ant areas of the camp. They were positioned next to a high ranking officer in case he was needed to mark cadence for battle. Most of the drummers did survive to later speak of their experiences. The drummer played a very important role for the troops, keeping them in the know so the troops would know exactly what to do during battle and after battle.

Answer 4

the new and improved military ensemble in Europe became the fife and drum. In groups of foot soldiers, the drum took the place of the trumpet, providing the rhythms and patterns that instructed the troops as to what motions they were to take. The fife was added to the group in order to provide some sort of melodic interest, mainly to lighten the spirits of the men and the overall atmosphere of the military camps. Of course, in groups of mounted troops, the trumpet retained its place as the most important musical instrument, due to its ease of playing from horseback.

In the years following the Crusades, there was an amazing development in instruments. The musical instruments brought back to Europe from the Saracens and other nations laid the foundation for the development of a wide variety of instruments, especially woodwinds. Another instrument gleaned from the Saracens was the shawm, which later developed into the oboe. (Camus 25) As these new instruments increased in popularity, the other standard instruments of the military band faded into the background. The drums became an instrument used solely for field music purposes and in some countries in Europe, the fife was altogether replaced by the oboe.

Answer 5

Often dismissed as a minor function, the Regimental or Company drummer was a key and critical member of his unit. During the American Revolution, the drum served the same purpose as does the bugle today. It was the regimental drummer that transmitted the orders by means of his drum. Numerous drum calls existed. An officer could summon his officers, sergeants, or the entire Regiment just by having his drummer sound the appropriate drum beat.

During battle, the sound of the drums actually communicated between different units engaged. A drum beat could order a withdrawal .......................................................................
http://www.revolutionarywararchives.org/landon.html


I found something about black drummers
http://www.americanrevolution.org/blk.html

http://www.revwar75.com/library/rees/musician1.htm

Answer 6

In short if u dont understand military formations it was 2 keep these tightly pack units of soldiers in step. They were also useful for relaying orders 2 a large and spread out unit in rest or a unit on a smoke filled battlefield. The tactics of tight formations was replaced by spread out troops and thous got rid of the drummer.

Answer 7

The drum was used to issue the officer's commands and to keep a steady beat with music. The drums can be played along with fifes.

Answer 8

To help keep time as the troops marched into battle.

Chow!!