Figure 1.-This cased Ambrotype shows a FEderal drummer boy. He looks to be about 15 vyears old. Notice his decorated drum with Uniin iconigrapy. There are inumerablr portraits of American Civil Wae deymmer boys--more than aof all other countries combined. They were all volunteers. A very large number are Federal drummer boys.

We have collected numerous examples drummer boys. As far as we can tell we begin to see drmmers boys (late-18th century). There were of course drummers millenia before this time, but we have no evidence of boys being involved before that time. At the time drummers were an important part of army movement and battlefied manuvering. Verbal commands commonly did not carry over the din of battle, Drums and buggles were very important in maintaining battlefield control. At the onset of working on this topic, we expected to find many accouts of Prussian/German drummer boys. Wevhave not dound any such evidence. In fact, the largest rnumbers of images and accounts come from America and Britain. These were the two least militarized countries at the time. Britain had a small, professuinal all volunteer army. They even had to hire Hessian (German) soldirts to fught the Revolutiion. America had a smaller, less profesional military. The Civil War was fought mostly with volunteer militias. Yet the vast number of umages we have found of derummer boys are either American or British. The volunteer nature of these two armies we believe accounts for the large number of boys who joined the colors. And drummers were one of the best used for boys. We note that with Anerican drummer boys, they were usually sent to the rear before an assault. We are less sure about the British.

America

We do not know much about drummer boys in America's first war--the Revolutionary War. Nathan Futrell (1773–1829) was said to have been the youngest drummer boy in the Revokutiionary War (1776-83). He reprtedly joined the North Carolina Continental Militia when he was 7 years old. That seems very young. The Civil War was a very different matter. There is a huge body of photographs in the historical record as well as written accouts. Much of the American image of the drummer boys comes from the Civil War (1861-65). Most of the really young boys entered the Federal and Confederate Armies as musicians. One source estimates that were places for 40,000 muscians in the Federal Army alone. Many of the younger boys served as drummers and fifers. There were many more drummers than fifers. These instruments were best suited for younger boys. While much attention is given to drummers, perhaps because they were often the youngest boys, there were also many bugglers. Large numbers of bugglers were also required as the buggle was important in communicating orders in the heat of battle in the years before modern communication. The buggle could often be heard when voice commands were impossible. With the buggle, lung power was essential, making it suitable for slightly older boys or youths. Some younger boys, however, also served as bugglers. One source writes, "There are numerous tales of buglers too small to climb into saddles unaided, who rode into pistol-and-saber battles with their regiments. Most famous of these on the Union side was Johnny Clem, who became drummer to the 22nd Michigan at eleven, and was soon a mounted orderly on the staff of General George H. Thomas, with the 'rank' of lance sergeant." Another noted drummer boy was Robert Henry Hendershot who became known as 'the Drummer Boy of the Rappahannock.' He was a drummer boy for the Eighth Michigan. As afar as we jknow, the Civil War was the last American military conflict in which fdrummer boys appeared on the battkle field.

Figure 2.--This is a postcard depicdting a British drummer boy with the 3rd Scots Guards. Unfirtunatlt we can not make out the writing. vThe photograph would have beebn taken around 1910. v The drummers were no longer employed on the battlefield, but reserved for the parade ground. .

Britain

We note several accounts of British drummer boys throughout the 19th century. There are, however very few actual images. Theis mnay redlect the fact that the early American photiographic record is more extensive that that oif Europe. We have found photigraphs British drummer boys in oaradeground unifirmas from the early-20th century. Perhaps the most famous British drummer boy is the unammed boy who energed on the ramparts of the British lines at Yorktown after the fall of Redount 9 and 10 to signal the surrender of Lord Corwallis (1781). By bthe French Revolutionay/Napoleooiv Wars', the British Army began using Scottish pipers. Because of the lung power requirement, these were adults. They continued to use biy drummers. Another notable named British drummer boy was unammed boy at the Siege of Sevastopol during the Crimean War (1855). The British 77th Regiment of Foot with drummers launched a bayonet attack on Russian rifle pits being used for sniping. The British drummer saw a Russian boy trumpeter trying to flee. He caught hold of him and beat him 'in truly British fashion' causubg him to surrendered. The British drummer boy then presented the Russian trumpet to Sir George Brown. He was rewarded by General Lord Raglan, the British Crimean commander. Two drummer boys were recognized durung the Indian Mutiny (1857). At the Siege of Lucknow , 12-year-old Drummer Ross of the 93rd Highlanders beat out a signal of the the arrival of his Regiment to the besieged garrison. He somehow climbing the high point of the Shah Najaf Mosque and blew the regimental march on his bugle, while under heavy fire. Apparently British drummer boy training included the buggle. Subsequently at the Second Battle of Cawnpore, 15-year-old Thomas Flynn, a drummer with the 64th Regiment of Foot, was awarded the Britain's highest military medal--the Victoria Cross. The waward read, "During a charge on the enemy's guns, Drummer Flynn, although wounded himself, engaged in a hand-to-hand encounter with two of the rebel artillerymen". He is the youngest recipient of the Victoria Cross. The saddest example is the fate of a drummer boys at the Isandlwana during the Zulu War (1879). The last War we see drummer boys in the field is the Bohr War (1899-1900).

Costa Rica

A drummer boy named Juan Santamaría died in the fightingb afainstv American Filibuster William Walker (1856). He is honored as one of of Cista Rica's national heroes. We notr a statute to Juan does not show him with a drum.

France

Joseph Barra was a boy who volunteered to fight for the Revolution. He was killed in the bloody fighting in the Vendée (1793). Weerts in his 1883 painting "The Death of Barra" paints the Republican boy soldier protecting the horses he has been entrusted with while brigands assault him. Thos was one version of Joseph's story. A Napoleonic drummer boy was André Estienne who was killed in the Battle of the Bridge of Arcole (1796). André led his battalion across a river whre he had yo hold his drum over his head. Reaching the far bank, he began beating 'charge'". The Frenbch seized the bridge and the defeated the Austrian army. Althoiugh he was 19 years old, he became aclaimed as the 'Le Petit Tambour d'Arcole (The Little Drummer of Arcole). He is honored in the Panthéon in Paris and on the Arc de Triomphe. He has been depicted in paintings by Charles Thévenin and Horace Vernet.

Figure 3.-The Hitler Youth had an elaborate music program, emphasizing the drum. There are enumeravle images of Hitler Youth units and staged events with boys beating martial tunes on the drums.

Germany

Given Germany's Prussian miitary tradition. we note drawings of German drummers as part of the Land csknecht (16th century), but they involved large drums and men not boys. We were rather surpriswd to find so few accounts of drummer boys (Der Trommelmann). Ironically, perhaps the best known drummer in German history is a woman, Eleonore Prochaska (1785-1813). Perhaps there are accounts in German, but we have not found acoounts in English exceept for Prochaska. There are innumerable German military march tunes. The drum clearly had natioanlistiv resonance in German culture. German fought several wars in the c1860s culmibnting in the Franco Prussian War (1870-71). This was about the same tine as the American Civil War. In sharp contrast to america there is no huge body of phitographs and lterar=ture about dry=ummer voys. This proabaly speaks to the grrater professionalism of the Prussian/German militaries. After World War I, Hitler Youth grops virtually adopted the drum. We believe it was Goebbels who satated that all it took was a simple mailutary band to arouse the military spirit in Germans. The Hitler Youth had an elaborate music program, emphasizing the drum. There are enumeravle images of Hitler Youth units and staged events with boys beating martial tunes on the drums. Even today, the 'Little Drummer Boy'/ 'Der kleine Trommler' is a popular Christmas song in Germany. We thoughit was a German song, but actually was written by America Katherine K. Davis during World War II. Interestringly, Günter Grass used a toy drum as a center point for his most famous and contriversial novel-- The Tin Drum.

Russia

We do not yet have any information about Russian drummer boys. We do know there were boys involved in Tsarist army. There was a tradition of Regiments adopotung the boys of killed or encapaitated soldietrs. The yoiungest were known as Sons of the Regiment. We do not know to what extent they served as drummer boys. This tradition continued with the Soviet Red Army through Workd War II. Of course by this time there were no longer drums used by combat formations.

Created: 4:16 PM 11/12/2020
Last updated: 4:17 PM 11/12/2020