Civil War: Buglers, Fifers and Drummers

Listen to the drums, fifes and bugles of war; the drums were used to transmit instructions to the troops in the field because the drums could be heard over distances.  Different patterns or “tatt0os” were used to indicate what the troops should do.  Note the young age of many of the drummers and buglers.  While these boys were unlikely to be on the front lines, they were used in encampment and certainly faced dangers unthinkable to us today. The long instrument tucked in one soldier’s belt is a fife. These were wooden instruments that were sturdier and less expensive than a flute but played in the same manner.  The high pitch carried well outdoors, which is why the fife was used in battle.

One of the more popular Southern songs was “When Johnny Comes Marching Home”. It is played here by the US Military Academy Band, and accompanied by wonderful images from the Southern States.