I'm trying to do a bit of reading about musicians in battle, especially on their role in evacuating casualties to the field hospitals (such as they were). Does anyone have any pointers?
Although a somewhat later period, from: "Bully for the Band!": The Civil War Letters and Diary of Four Brothers in the 10th Vermont Infantry Band:
There is also much secondary mentioning of the use of musicians for bringing back wounded in the british army in the Crimea, until now no reliable primary sources.
Thanks, but this may the pitfall that we assume that the identical duty was for musicians in the Napoleonic Wars.
Michael Lindt pointed out the situation at the isle of Lobau, where seemingly they were used to created a reserve medical help corps, in my view - at least for the French army rather the exception then the rule.
@Hans - Karl Weiß I completely agree. About the Napoleonic Wars (and Revolutionary), until now I found a lot of mentioning that they did (even paintings) but no reliable primary sources.
Excuses me, can we please stay on topic - as on musicians acting as stretcher bearers, I would welcome good information on that topic, for that reason I also agree that drummers were as such not that important in battle, where their tactical role was limited and for that reason, seemingly in the British army they were seen as reserve to be employed as first aid - which I still find difficult to see how this would work in practise.
@Hans - Karl Weiß I can't comment on stretcher bearers, but in the memoirs of a musician in the 93e Ligne at the Battle of Essling, he mentioned he did not follow the regiment into battle, but made his way around the battlefield and finally helped the wounded near the bridges. His words below. He also mentions at Wagram the musicians were ordered to stay on Lobau Island while the army passed. So it seems musicians helped the wounded at their discretion.
Il n'y avait point de service d'ambulance organisé et l'on n'entendait partout que les cris des blessés appelant au secours . Mes camarades et moi , nous nous mîmes en devoir de soulager autant que nous le pouvions les pauvres moribonds . Il y avait là un capitaine de grena diers qui avait l'épaule emportée par un boulet . C'est par lui que je commençai , quoiqu'il n'y eût pas d'illusion à se faire sur son sort ; mais le pauvre malheureux endurait de telles souffrances , que je voulus essayer de le soulager . Je dépouillai de leurs chemises plusieurs morts qui étaient parmi les blessés , et avec mon couteau j'en coupai des bandes . Nous avions une gamelle de fer - banc dans laquelle nous allâmes chercher de l'eau . Je lui lavai sa plaie , puis je la lui bandai le mieux que je pus . Il se trouva un peu soulagé , mais ce ne pouvait être pour longtemps.
Nous pansâmes ainsi , pendant la nuit , une vingtaine de blessés ; mais notre plus grand ouvrage fut de donner à boire à ces pauvres malheureux , à qui la soif faisait sortir la langue de la bouche . Nous n'avions d'autre vase que notre gamelle , qui nous servait alternativement à laver leurs plaies et à leur donner à boire de l'eau toute boueuse . On avait amené près de nous un convoi de prisonniers autrichiens . Plusieurs avaient des bidons . Je leur ordonnai d'aller les remplir et de donner à boire à leurs blessés ainsi qu'aux nôtres , car nous ne pouvions pas suffire . Mais je m'aperçus bientôt qu'à la faveur de la nuit , tous les prisonniers valides s'enfuyaient : il n'y avait personne pour les garder . Je résolus d'aller en pré venir un général qui était près du pont ; mais le Danube venait de déborder , et , pour arriver jusqu'au général , je fus obligé de me mettre à l'eau jusqu'aux genoux . Le général , qui était de fort mauvaise humeur , me reçut fort mal . — « Qu'ils aillent au diable , me répondit - il , cela ne me regarde pas » , et il me tourna le dos . Je fus bien fâché de m'être mis à l'eau pour obtenir une aussi belle réponse . Je retournai près de mes camarades , et toute la nuit se passa à soigner les blessés , sans qu'aucun de nous songeât à dormir . A la pointe du jour , je montai sur une petite éminence , et je ne vis autour de moi qu'un amas de blessés , couchés presque les uns sur les autres , et sur la route une foule de cavaliers et de fantassins qui cherchaient à gagner le pont ; mais la route était tellement encombrée que personne ne pouvait plus avancer . La crue du Danube ayant augmenté , les abords du pont étaient devenus impossibles . Il fallait attendre qu'on l'eût rendu de nouveau praticable . Sur ces entrefaites , nous apprimes que les ponts qui reliaient l'ile Lobau à la rive droite avaient été emportés .
Given the limited role of a drummer during an engagement, in the face of the enemy a drummer was perhaps more easily spared than a man with musket and bayonet.
And have also found a bit in the Regimental Companion from 1811: 'In battle, the drummers are to assist the wounded men of their respective companies.'
so that implies thy the regiment / battlion rather sacrifices the role of the drummer to deal with the wounded than ordinary soldiers.
I find that hard to believe, usually drummers - maybe not in the British army - were drawn together when in battle to form a sub unit of drummers - they weren't with their companies any longer, how would they know whom to help as well who would request them??
I must check the French regulation on that, maybe I am completely wrong on this assumption and my memory is at fault.
I am not sure you are looking for French accounts, but this is a memoir by a French musician I found on google books and he describes his position in battles. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=eblCAAAAYAAJ
Les CampaignesD'UN Musicien d'État - Major PENDANT LA RÉPUBLIQUE ET L'EMPIRE 1791-1810 PHILIPPE - RENÉ GIRAULT
EX - MUSICIEN D'ÉTAT - MAJOR AU RÉGIMENT DE PENCHE , AU 66 BATAILLON DE LA HAUTE - SAÔNE , AU 5 € HUSSARDS , AU 93 ° DE LIGNE
Not sure how much this really happened. I cannot recall a bandsman describing doing so in any Nap war memoir. Very few bandmembers appear to have written memoirs.
@Hans - Karl Weiß When looking at the controls de troupes you find a lot of French tambours and were once fusiliers and then became tambours and sometimes switched back to fusiliers. It seems that most of the musiciens were trained and their profession is usually listed as musicien when joining the regiment. However, we do find a few who first joined as fusiliers and then later became musiciens. Three musiciens from the 3e Ligne and a group of the 72e Ligne musiciens.
Thanks, yes indeed, a drummer got better payment than a mere fusilier, so it was quite attractive to obtain this position, even more surprising some of them gave up or had to give up their rank as drummer.
In case they became musicians, they must have been able to play one or two instruments before they joined the army.
I have to find the memoire of a German who served as a soldier but then the Russians captured him and when they found out he could play an instrument, he was obtained and served as musician in their military band, maybe Thomas Hemmann knows about this as well.
@Hans - Karl Weiß We find two musicians with the 105e Ligne transferring from the 24e Chasseurs a Cheval, and one is listed as a trumpeter. I would presume both were trumpeters and must have enlisted together as they are only three numbers apart. Another musician transferred from the 4e Marine Artillery, so as you said, men could come and go once their contract had expired.
This is an excellent reference:
Manuel_général_de_musique_militaire_à.pdf
Although a somewhat later period, from: "Bully for the Band!": The Civil War Letters and Diary of Four Brothers in the 10th Vermont Infantry Band:
There is also much secondary mentioning of the use of musicians for bringing back wounded in the british army in the Crimea, until now no reliable primary sources.
Excuses me, can we please stay on topic - as on musicians acting as stretcher bearers, I would welcome good information on that topic, for that reason I also agree that drummers were as such not that important in battle, where their tactical role was limited and for that reason, seemingly in the British army they were seen as reserve to be employed as first aid - which I still find difficult to see how this would work in practise.
Given the limited role of a drummer during an engagement, in the face of the enemy a drummer was perhaps more easily spared than a man with musket and bayonet.
And have also found a bit in the Regimental Companion from 1811: 'In battle, the drummers are to assist the wounded men of their respective companies.'
The Duke of York did order NCOs, drummers and bandsmen to carry the Williams Field Torniquet, which might imply some medical role for the band? https://history.rcplondon.ac.uk/inspiring-physicians/william-henry-williams
Also they are mentioned on pp.38-39 of Wellington's Doctor's by Martin Howard.
Zack,
I am not sure you are looking for French accounts, but this is a memoir by a French musician I found on google books and he describes his position in battles. https://play.google.com/books/reader?id=eblCAAAAYAAJ
Les CampaignesD'UN Musicien d'État - Major PENDANT LA RÉPUBLIQUE ET L'EMPIRE 1791-1810 PHILIPPE - RENÉ GIRAULT
EX - MUSICIEN D'ÉTAT - MAJOR AU RÉGIMENT DE PENCHE , AU 66 BATAILLON DE LA HAUTE - SAÔNE , AU 5 € HUSSARDS , AU 93 ° DE LIGNE
Not sure how much this really happened. I cannot recall a bandsman describing doing so in any Nap war memoir. Very few bandmembers appear to have written memoirs.