Vogt Eagle Drum in Smithsonian Collection

Blog reader, drum mechanic, drummer and Fashnacht enthusiast George Kubicek wrote this morning alerting us to this rare beauty.


Union drum

This 1864 military-issue rope-tension snare drum was made by Ernest Vogt of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The drum was used in the Civil War by Samuel Kyle, who served as a private in Captain James Christie’s Company K, 22nd New Jersey Volunteers. The eagle embellishment on the side of the drum was a common design but varied from manufacturer to manufacturer. Many of the field drummers were young boys, age twelve to sixteen. A drummer sounded the morning and evening camp duties and also sounded the field maneuvers. Most field drummers would have been accompanied by fifers.

Division of Cultural History, Musical History
National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution
Behring Center
Gift of John S. Kyle