The Duty In Camp & Garrison
Punishment was also needed to maintain control of the men. Drummers were tasked with flogging with the cat o' nine tails, a whip with nine strands of leather. Lashes of up to two hundred were not uncommon, necessitating the rotation of drummers every twenty five lashes. The Rogues March: Played when prostitutes or other miscreants were drummed out of camp, much to the displeasure of a soldier, or more than a few. The Dead March: Before an execution, the culprit's regiment would be formed in a hollow square, and with the Drums of that regiment playing the Dead March, the prisoner would be paraded around the formation flanked by his guards. Drummer's Call: The beating used to mass the drums of the battalion prior to playing important signals or tunes. The Reveille: In camp, the reveille began with a drummer from each regiment, starting from the right of the line, beating the Camp Taps, or a series of signal strokes. Once complete, the Reveille began with the Mother and Three Camps, followed by the Scotch Reveille. This would be repeated for some time until all the men were roused. The General: Played in lieu of the Reveille when the army was to break camp. Pioneer's March: Beat following Reveille, the Pioneer's March alerted soldiers that they were to clean their barracks or tent before inspection. Barracks were to be inspected frequently, necessitating constant upkeep. The Troop: Wednesday and Sunday excepted, the Troop was beat every morning and every man excepting the sick, the cook, and the orderly man were to parade under arms. Dinner Call: Beat around noon, the Rost Beef of Old England called the soldier to his first meal of the day. Church and Recruiting Call: This lively tune called the men to divine service every Sunday, and was also used in recruiting parties to draw prospective soldiers near. When one recruiting duty, it was not unusual for drummers to add flourishes to bolster the flamoyant air of the dashing recruiting sergeant and his party. The Retreat: The final duty call of the day, the Retreat silenced the entire camp or garrison, being beat at 10PM in the summer, and 9PM in the winter. After this beating, no man was allowed out of barracks and no drum was to be beat except in an emergency. The Taptoo: Derived from the Dutch phrase "turn off the taps," the Taptoo was beat to alert soldiers in town to return to garrison. Following this beating, armed patrols were sent through town to arrest those drunkards shirking their duty. The taptoo was never beat in camp, but used whilst the battalion was in garrison. |
