Civil War Cornet Player's Manuscript Sheet Music
Original Civil War manuscript collection of music for the use of Union soldier Francis E. Brigham, a member of the 3rd Brigade Band of the 24th Army Corps.
Very good plus.
Price: $2,500.00
Civil War Cornet Player's Manuscript Sheet Music
"Bring the good old bugle, boys, we'll sing another song / Sing it with a spirit that will start the world along / Sing it as we used to sing it, fifty thousand strong / While we were marching through Georgia." – Hery Clay Work, "Marching Through Georgia"
Brigade bands not only provided entertainment and raised the spirits of soldiers during the violence and turmoil of the American Civil War, but musicians were even known to assist doctors and field surgeons from their positions behind the front line. But their contributions have been historically minimized: William Alfred Bufkin notes that "not one monument in the several battlefields of the Civil War is known to record the presence of a single [...] band, although these musical organizations are known to have been present in abundance at every large-scale engagement" (93).
Francis E. Brigham, born in Vermont, was drafted into the Union army in September 1863. The early exploits of Brigham's military career are unknown, but at some point he joined the 3rd division of the 24th Army Corps, founded in 1864 to fight in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign. But he was not only an infantryman: he was also a member of the 3rd Brigade Band, a group of 16 musicians who fought low morale in camps as his comrades fought the Confederacy on the battlefield. It is clear that Brigham used this music manuscript while playing his Eb cornet with his fellow band members, as it bears the tell-tale marks of the clip that allowed it to perch on his instrument while he played. Brigham survived the Civil War, as did his musical talent: he and his wife sang in their church choir until he died.
The 3rd Brigade Band had a varied repertoire: this manuscript contains several polkas, a Scottish reel, and patriotic tunes such as "Hail to the Chief," among others. It is a fascinating snapshot of the musical tastes of the 1860s, and a peek into the lives of soldiers off the battlefields. As Union soldier Charles B. Haydon wrote in 1863: "Music is almost as necessary for soldiers as rations" (Bufkin, 96). A moving survival.
Read more: William Alfred Bufkin, Union Bands of the Civil War.
The Object
n. p., [circa 1864-1865]. 5.25'' x 6.75''. Original glossy black wrappers, saddle-stitched. Manuscript musical notation. [31] leaves ruled for musical notation: [18] with notation, [13] blank. One blank cleanly excised. Wrappers with rubbing to edges, two small indentations from music clip to front wrapper. Leaves with some soiling to margins, scattered foxing. Sound.
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