| | Field Music in the Civil War
The field music of the 13th Mass consisting of fife and drum, supplemented by bugle calls, is used for camp duties, to provide cadence on the march and for signals in battle.
Before 1862, ‘monster’ division level bands, 50 or so, of mostly brass instruments were the rage. Some Generals even had them leading the troops into battle. (One commander who took his bands into combat was General George Armstrong Custer. The band spearheaded his famous cavalry charge at Columbia Furnace) There were regimental bands and even bands at the brigade level, whereas the fife, drum and bugle field music were relegated to one each per company of 100 or so men. With so many bands available, the field music were unlikely to ever need to mass for dress parades. 
But that all came to a screeching halt when in July of 1862 the 'Monster Bands’ were mustered out, as they were considered deadbeats and a financial liability. Before the mustering out order there were 14,832 bandsmen in the Union Army. After this time, two musicians from each of ten companies (total =20) formed into regimental bands. Each Company was given the choice of fife and drum, or bugle and drum, presumably fife and bugle was not an option. The Regimental band consisted of ten drums and ten total of fifers and buglers. Shortly after that, the fife was abolished from the battle field, being replaced entirely by the bugle, but the fife was still used in camp duty and on the march..
In the 13th Mass rendition of field music in battle, the primary calls are on the bugle; whereas the fife and drum is more likely to lead the charge or serenade the spectators, who were as plentiful in the early 1860s of the war, as they are today. Thus the 13th Mass field music incorporates some features of the early war use of bands.
 Early in the day of a reenactment, the bugle, and then the drum, plays Musicians Call, the first call. Next, Adjutants Call and finally Assembly Call for the morning assembly are played separately by bugle and drum. Later the process is repeated for morning Dress Parade where the field music parades down the line of troops at a Slow Step and returns at a Quick Step. In the afternoon the 13th Mass assemble, march to battle and engage the enemy, all accompanied by the fife, drum and bugle, just as in the Civil War.
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Charles Grant of American Legion Post 208 in Millis joins the 13th Mass Vols. Field Musicians on Memorial Day.
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"Autobiography of an old fifer" by Jack Clapp Veterans Corps of
Artillery Fife and Drum Corps New York City ca. 1890’s.
Now a word for the Reveille while on the subject. There are people today
and officers in the army who did not know that Reveille (as well as the
calls) were played on the fife and drum. It consisted of the following
parts:
Three Camps
Slow Scotch
The Austrian
The Dawning of the Day
The Hessian
Quick Scotch
Three Camps
After each a roll of the drum was played, then the next number.
The one good thing about reveille, as far as members of the Field Music
were concerned, was that they did not have to be presentable. They could
go out and play half dressed, as there was no one up and about to see
them. They aroused the camp.
The field music marched out to the flagstaff, took position in the rear
of the artillery detachment that consisted of four or five men. They
primed the field piece, a light artillery gun, and attached the flag to
the lanyards. The drum major consulted his watch and at the proper time,
brought the baton down starting Reveille as the cannon ( “the sunrise
gun”) was fired and the colors slowly raised to the top of the
flagpole.
Just prior to the field music marching to the color line, the drummer of
the guard sounded first call. By the time Reveille was finished, the
various companies were up and out on their company streets being checked
by the first sergeant.
( continued in the next column ---> )
| | ( continued from first column.................) As I write this, I thought it might be well to describe a day in the
camp, at that period, the start of a new century. These were the good
old days when the National Guard was at its peak. During World War II
while at Fort Monmouth, I used to hear the bugle calls played on record-
a phonograph and speaker horns at various places- generally on the roofs
of some shacks around the camp. What are we coming to? It must have been
very inspiring to the G.I.’s. Well, now to get back to the camp life
as I knew it.
After Reveille came Surgeons Call or Sick Call as it was commonly
called- at 6:05 AM, then Breakfast Call. These calls were played by the
musicians of the guard, a fifer a drummer and bugler. The musicians of
the guard were on duty for 24 hours starting at guard mount. They played
each call at three different places, first in front of the guard tent,
second at the color line, then in front of the Colonels or Adjutants
tent.
After Breakfast Call they would come down to the field music street for
their chow. There the kidding and razzing would start. Made no
difference how good they were, they were told in no uncertain terms how
lousy they were, but it was all taken in stride and good humor. They in
turn would be riding the next guard detail the following day.
After Breakfast Call came fatigue Call. That was the signal for all
hands to get busy and clean up quarters roll up and air out the tents,
bottoms, police the streets, etc.
Then came Guard Mount, the time was optional, it was up to the Colonel.
Some Regiments have it in the morning, others in the afternoon. Our
Regiment had it in the morning about 10:00 AM. It consisted of a detail
from each company reporting for guard duty. We used to like Guard Mount.
The band played several numbers for inspection of arms, passing in
review, etc., then the band and the field music would fall out and the
new detail of musicians of the guard played the new guard down to the
guard tent, where the old guard was lined up waiting to be relieved.
They turned the prisoners if any, (generally a few field musicians) over
to the new guard, marched off, and were dismissed a short distance from
the guardhouse.
Next the musicians of the guard sounded the 1st Call and Assembly for
Drill, followed by Drill Call. The Regiment was formed and went through
about an hour of pretty stiff drilling. Then Recall was sounded by the
musicians of the guard and the Regiment marched off. Next came Dinner
Call. After dinner a quick check to see if all was I good order and you
could take it easy. The field music would probably do a little bit of
practicing, then go down to the saloon by the Anville Creek, where the
boatman lived. He would row you across to Peekskill. I believe it was
for a quarter.
Next came Supper Call, then Evening Dress Parade. That was the most
colorful of the day. Company, Battalion and Regimental formations,
passing in review, the field music trooping the line at the sound off,
etc. The field music sounded off and looked good as they trooped the
line, and counter march was a well executed maneuver and always received
favorable comment. After the second counter march, Slow Retreat was
played by the fife and drum, then by bugle. The sunset gun was fired and
the colors lowered amid the strains of the Star Spangled Banner.
After evening Dress Parade, you were on your own, and took things easy
until 9:00 PM. Then the field music fell in and marched to the color
line and played Tattoo. The Tattoo consisted of:
Three Cheers
Doublings
6/8 Quickstep
Doublings
Slow March
Doublings
Troop, ¾ time
Doublings
2/4 Quickstep
Three Cheers
Doublings
At the playing of Tattoo, all soldiers were to return to and remain in
their tents or quarters, unless by special permission. Five minutes
before the prescribed time for playing Tattoo, First Call would be
beaten by the drummer of the guard.
The call to quarters was next sounded by the bugler out in the open.
Next came Taps, that was about 10:45 PM. The guards were then challenged
and anyone not having the password was put under arrest.
(this article was submitted by Peter Emerick)
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