Military

This field drum was made by A. Rogers in Flushing, New York, around 1862-1864. It has a blue-painted shell with a painted eagle design with a banner held in the eagle’s beak inscribed “REG: U.S. INFANTRY,” and two skin heads. There are two red-painted wood hoops drilled with 10 holes each for rope which is laced through leather ears, used to tighten the hoops. The shell is reinforced with brass tacks in a design around the vent hole. There is a printed label inside the shell that is inscribed:

MANUFACTURED
BY
A. ROGERS,
FLUSHING, L.I.

A. Rogers was one of many drum makers which were granted contracts to produce drums for the Army. This drum, like many of the era, most likely was an Army surplus drum as it lacks any specific regiment markings.

This sheet music is for the sonfg “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” with words and music by Frank Loesser. It was published by Famous Music Corp. in New York, New York in 1942.

On a Sunday morning in December 1941, a chaplain had his most difficult assignment — to say a prayer to sailors aboard a U.S. navy ship actively under low–flying attack by the enemy firing from all directions. He quickly realized the best he could do was walk the ammunition line saying, “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition!” Stories of the overheard phrase quickly turned into legend and passed between soldiers, eventually reaching the press and one Broadway composer and lyricist, Frank Loesser. He served in the Radio Productions Unit charged with mounting shows of popular guest stars for boosting morale of the troops.

With the phrase as the song title, he combined the stories into one set of lyrics — fact mattered not as much as the need to inspire spirit. By 1943, the song, performed by Kay Kaiser and His Orchestra, had reached no. 1 on the Billboard chart, surpassing its peak of no. 8 the previous year when performed by the Merry Macs. Loesser donated his royalties for sale of the song to the Navy Relief Society. The chaplain originally quoted wished to remain anonymous, and the episode to remain legend. Many variations on the tale, the name of the chaplain, whether or not he himself manned a gun turret to participate in the battle, and the battle's whereabouts have existed over the years.

This bugle was sold by the firm of J. Howard Foote in New York and made around 1861 to 1865. Many of the brass wind instruments sold by J. Howard Foote were made by John F. Stratton. It is a single coil C bugle made of copper with a brass lead pipe and ferrule. This bugle features a medallion inscribed:

J.H.F.
[lyre]
C & NY.

John F. Stratton received many government contracts to manufacture instruments during the Civil War. This bugle is typical of the regulation style infantry bugles made for the United States Army.

John Howard Foote (1833-1896) was a musical instrument dealer with shops in New York City and Chicago. This instrument listed in an 1880 J. Howard Foote catalog, sold as an Army or Infantry bugle (#5160), for $3.75.

side1: Staff Sgt. Ezra Stone, Cpl. Phillip Truex, and Pvt. Julie Oshens. The Army's Made a Man Out of Me; side 2: Pvt. Stuart Churchill and Soldier Octet. I'm Getting Tired So I Can Sleep (Decca 18475), from the album, Irving Berlin's All Soldier Show: This Is the Army (Decca A-340).
78 rpm

This album is from the Broadway musical This Is the Army, with book by James McColl, and music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The musical was produced by the U. S. Army in 1942, and featured a cast of U. S. soldiers, for the benefit of the Army Relief Fund. The revue ran at the Broadway Theatre from July 4, 1942, to September 26, 1942, for 113 performances.

side1: All Soldier Orchestra and Chorus. Overture; side 2: Cpl. Earl Oxford and Soldier Chorus. I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen (Decca 18474), from the album, Irving Berlin's All Soldier Show: This Is the Army (Decca A-340).
78 rpm.

This album is for the Broadway musical This Is the Army, with book by James McColl, and music and lyrics by Irving Berlin. The musical was produced by the U. S. Army in 1942, and featured a cast of U. S. soldiers, for the benefit of the Army Relief Fund. The revue ran at the Broadway Theatre from July 4, 1942, to September 26, 1942, for 113 performances.

This cornet was made by Henry Distin in New York, New York in 1878. It is a B-flat cornet, serial #226, made of silver plated brass with 3 piston valves and highly engraved with leaf and ribbon patterns on the top of the bell and has decorations on the piston casings, shank receiver, and slide ferrules. This cornet is engraved:

1878
HY. DISTIN NEW YORK
TRADE MARK
No. 226
HENRY DISTIN
MAKER
386 BOWERY OPP. 5TH STR.
NEW YORK

This cornet was previously owned by Walter F. Smith (1859-1937), cornetist in the Sousa Band (1893-1896) and the United States Marine Band (1885-1893 and 1898-1921).

Walter F. Smith joined the Sousa Band in 1893 and was made acting leader. In this role, Smith conducted Washington, D.C. concerts, various touring concerts, and also went with the band to perform in the inaugural ceremonies for the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. This experience was a huge success and an article from the Stanley Barney Smith Collection in the Western Michigan University Archives states:

“Played to an audience of 50,000… Although the hour set for appearance of Sousa’s old organization was 3 o’clock, the crowds began pouring into the great playground after luncheon… By 2 o’clock the crowd extended from Van Buren Street to Harrison, lined the East side of Michigan ten to twenty deep. Conductor Smith began his part without any delay and without any preliminaries… Every number was enthusiastically cheered and it is scarcely necessary to say the program was as near perfection as may be.”

This fife was made by Pond & Co. in New York, New York, about 1863. It is a fife in C, made of rosewood with German silver ferrules, and a pewter mouthpiece. The brand stamp is barely legible. According to the accession paperwork, this fife was used by the donor’s grandfather during the Civil War.

The United States National Park Service Civil War Database lists James Thomas Barnhart (1844-1914) as a private and musician in Company D, of the 139th Indiana Infantry. He was mustered in May 15, 1864, and mustered out October 7, 1864.