J. Ashton Eagle Drum

12MCW - CIVIL WAR HAND PAINTED EAGLE DRUM. The all time classic of Civil War collecting. An object which has transcended its basic use to become a symbol of the War, The Union, and an icon of patriotic Americana. Collectors of folk art are our most enthusiastic, affluent, and frequently successful competitors for this drum. Just seeing it evokes images across the spectrum of the people, symbols and events surrounding the War, and the times. 16 3/8" high, 16 1/2" in diameter. Shell appears to be oak, finished in light mahogany. Rims are red. One side of the shell has a 16" wide painted panel, its design familiar to all, and featuring a fierce spread eagle, shield and ribband with national motto "E Pluribus Unum". Paint is in wonderful shape and color is strong. About 90% original; a minor amount of paint flaked off in typical fashion leaving narrow horizontal bare spots. All of this has been professionally restored by the preeminent experts at Cooperman Drum & Fife Company in Connecticut. Over-painting was NOT employed. Next to the painted panel is an original 7" wide panel of brass tacks added in decorative fashion to enhance the vent area. Heads, ropes (to include the drag) and tugs are professionally restored. Condition of drum is beautiful. Rims have a wonderful old looking red, with overall light surface wear. A rim crack has period tin reinforcement. Judging from the clean shadow inside from where the label was, I believe the person who recently discovered the drum in an attic had no appreciation for the label's value, allowed it to fall out, and didn't pick it up. I consulted the drum restorer who identified the maker as J. ASHTON. Because of the scarcity and demand for these drums, we've not had one to offer for several years. Here's an opportunity which seldom occurs, to own a classic . $6,500

Anderson Militaria
P. O. Box 39063, Ninilchik, AK 99639
907-567-4474
dandersonmilitaria@gmail.com

Klemm and Brother Drum of Jordan Noble, Free Man of Color

Jordan Noble was a free black drummer famous for beating the long roll at the Battle of New Orleans. Born in 1800 in Georgia, Noble came to New Orleans in 1811 and joined the United States army one year later. He participated in several engagements of the Louisiana campaign. At the Battle of New Orleans, he opened with reveille. He later served as a drummer in the Mexican War of 1846-1848 and rallied New Orleans free men of color to form militia companies on behalf of the Confederacy at the outbreak of the Civil War.

Snare Drum
Klemm and Brother, Philadelphia
c. 1860
Loaned by Gaspar Cusachs
Jordan Noble used this drum later in his career.

Louisiana State Museum, The Battle of New Orleans

-----
See also, "The Terrible and the Brave: The Battles for New Orleans, 1814-1815"
An Exhibition
May 17, 2005-January 8, 2006
The Historic New Orleans Collection

42 Jordan B. Noble
ca. 1887; photograph with hand inscription
MSS 201, folder 1

Free black men fought alongside regular U.S. troops, volunteers, and militia at New Orleans. Among the most famous of these was Jordan Noble. Though the inscription on this photograph associates him with Major Louis D’Aquin’s Battalion of Saint Domingue Free Men of Color, Noble actually served as a drummer boy for the 7th U.S. Infantry. Noble went on to fight in the Mexican War and the Civil War and played his drum at parades and civic events until his death in the late 1880s.

THE HISTORIC NEW ORLEANS COLLECTION
533 Royal Street
New Orleans, Louisiana 70130
www.hnoc.org Also, see this blog, "Certificate for Jordan B. Noble," posted June 22, 2009, http://blog.fielddrums.com/2009/04/certificate-for-jordan-b-noble.html:

12" X 9 1/2" ~ PRINTED BY MOWER POST NO.1, DEPT OF LOUISIANA, GAR ~ JORDAN B. NOBLE, VET OF 1812, FLORIDA WAR 1846, MEXICAN WAR AND CAPT IN THE 7TH LA. VOLS, UNION, RAISED FOR THE DEFENSE OF NEW ORLEANS IN 1863 ~ ASKS FOR MEMBERS TO SUPPORT THE OLD VETERAN AS HE SUPPORTS HIMSELF PLAYING MUSIC AS ENTERTAINMENT WITH HIS HISTORIC DRUM.

And see: http://www.hnoc.org/pdf/manuscripts/Vol%202.pdf:

And see "The Terrible and the Brave: The Battles for New Orleans, 1814-1815," An Exhibition, May 17, 2005 - January 8, 2006, The Historic New Orleans Collection,  http://www.hnoc.org/pdf/Battle_cat_web.pdf:

42 Jordan B. Noble ca. 1887; photograph with hand inscription
MSS 201, folder 1Free black men fought alongside regular U.S. troops, volunteers, and militia at New Orleans. Among the most famous of these was Jordan Noble. Though the inscription on this photograph associates him with Major Louis D’Aquin’s Battalion of Saint Domingue Free Men of Color, Noble actually served as a drummer boy for the 7th U.S. Infantry. Noble went on to fight in the Mexican War and the Civil War and played his drum at parades and civic events until his death in the late 1880s.

Fluvanna Artillery Drum

Civil War drum belonging to Sergeant Andrew Jackson Webb Fluvanna Artillery, 1 st Battery ..fired the last shot of the Civil War.” - Sold $4,510

Woodside Antiques And Estate Auctions
3760 South Main Street
Farmville, NC 27828
(252) 753-9929

Eagle Drum (non-Standard)

CIVIL WAR DRUM - 12 1/4" tall x 16 1/2" wide. Has been cut down.
Not marked but probably Horstmann. Great paint! Comes with drum sticks and worn out sling.
$ 1,995.00

Bull Run Relics & Coins
309 N. Massanutten Street
Strasburg, VA 22657
540-465-4090

Grover Cleveland Campaign Drum

Grover Cleveland Campaign Drum
Painted with a large green star circled by thirty-three smaller stars and G. Cleveland

This large bass drum retains much of its original red paint on the body and black trim on the hoops. It is decorated with a large green star circled by thirty-three smaller stars, as well as three green bars one of which has "G CLEVELAND" (with the "N" reversed) in silver. The largest star centering the peephole is within a painted circle of white with the remaining stars framed by a painted circle of green. American flags bracket Cleveland. The drum appears to be all-original; no makers name is visible. Included is a pair of leather-tipped drumsticks.

Grover Cleveland (1837-1908) was the first Democrat elected President following the Civil War. He began his political career as the reform Mayor of Buffalo, NY and then became Governor. He ran for President against Republican James G. Blaine and won with the support of both Democrats and Republican dissenters known as "Mugwumps. Though Cleveland won the popular vote in 1888, his opponent Benjamin Harrison won the electoral vote and became 23rd President. Cleveland ran again in 1892 and became the first President to serve two non-consecutive terms. In the next election, the party deserted him for William Jennings Bryant. Cleveland retired to Princeton, New Jersey where he died in 1908. In fine condition measuring 24-inchs high by 25-inch across...ready to be fitted with glass top serving as a great table!

Price: $6,300
297-13

If you are interested in buying any of these items, please call (978) 597-8084 or email David Hillier at drh@aaawt.com or Lynn Morin at lfm@aaawt.com.
Antique Associates at West Townsend, Inc.
473 Main Street | P.O. Box 129W | West Townsend, Massachusetts 01474
Ph. (978) 597-8084 | Fax (978) 597-6704 | Email drh@aaawt.com

NY Militia Drum

Regulation Civil War Infantry Eagle Drum
All parts original and authentic
Circa 1864
Label inside drum reads "C & F Soistmann / Manufacturers of all kinds of drums / No. 458 Dillwyn Street / Philadelphia". Conrad and Frederick Soistmann are listed as drum makers at this address in 1863. This manufacturer had a contract with the Army in 1864 for 1,000 drums. This painted eagle on this drum is excellent with only minor losses of paint. Most of the original tensioners are missing; however, the rope is original and solid. Bottom head is about nonexistent; top head is solid but warped with the top rim fitting loosely. Very good overall.
(15.5" high by 16.5" in diameter.)
Price: $13,750
DKL103

Militia Snare Drum
Possibly New York City
Circa 1860
The dark rosewood shell provides strong contrast illuminating the stylized New York State Arms. The rims are decorated with a trailing vine and leaf motive stenciled with bronze powder. An outstanding open-winged eagle stands on a gold globe with lemon yellow trim; vibrantly colored American flags and two obscured state regimental flags flank the seal above a trophy of cannon barrels, swords and muskets all contributing to the overall balance and success. There is an almost identical drum in the West Point Museum. This drum remains in terrific bright condition and stands at 14.25-inches.
Price: $5,900
570-31

If you are interested in buying any of these items, please call (978) 597-8084 or email David Hillier at drh@aaawt.com or Lynn Morin at lfm@aaawt.com.
Antique Associates at West Townsend, Inc.
473 Main Street | P.O. Box 129W | West Townsend, Massachusetts 01474
Ph. (978) 597-8084 | Fax (978) 597-6704 | Email drh@aaawt.com

Kilbourn Bass Drum ca. 1864-69

Red School House Antiques, catalogue #1052

CIVIL WAR ERA DRUM
19TH CEN AMERICAN CIVIL WAR ERA DRUM BY WILLIAM KILBOURN ALBANY, NY CIRCA 1864-1869
24 3/4" H
$1,800.00

Drum with Characteristic J.H. Buckbee Snare Mechanism

Sold by Jeff R. Bridgeman Antiques:

THE BEAUTIFULLY PAINTED, 19TH CENTURY SNARE DRUM OF W.H. ATKINS, POSSIBLY OF CASTINE, MAINE, 2ND MASSACHUSETTS INFANTRY:

This beautiful Civil War snare drum has a black-painted, elliptical medallion with a very finely detailed, gilt-painted eagle. The eagle is perched in a menacing fashion on the face of a three-dimensional shield. The name “W.H. Atkins” is painted on a salmon-colored streamer that is held in the eagle’s beak. This would have been a stock military drum, on which the name of the soldier could be filled in when presented.

Underneath the eagle is the word “Excelsior”. Latin for “ever upward”, this single word was adopted by the State of New York as its motto in 1778. One might therefore presume that this was the drum of a New York regiment, but it could also be that it was simply produced by a New York drum maker, such as W.S. Tompkins in Yonkers. Tompkins is known to have used the kind of metal rim protectors that are present on this drum, as early as 1860, which are an unusual feature in a drum of this period. Also unusual is the elaborate rod tension post that also tightens the snare. While most drums of this period employed a simple, snare-tightening mechanism that was leather-bound on one end with a metal clamp on the other, some makers, such as W.R. Eisenbrant in Baltimore, used rod-tension apparatus.

Though rod-tension drums were manufactured in Europe as early as the 1830’s, American drums that used rods throughout to tighten the heads were very rare in America until the 1870’s, which is why almost all Civil War drums were of the rope-tension variety, like this one. The drum is accompanied by a pair of ebony sticks that are probably original to its making. Snare drums sticks were often dark hardwood.*

There has been much speculation about the use of symbolism in wartime versus peacetime eagles. This is modern myth. Vexillologist Joe McMillan summarizes the issue succinctly on the Flags of the World Website:

“The eagle on the official U.S. Coat of Arms and seal has always faced dexter [to its own right], toward the olive branch. (Some 19th century military colors had the arrows in the dexter claw or the eagle's head facing sinister, but this was not normal, nor was it ever the case on the great seal, nor did it ever have anything to do with wartime vs. peacetime.)

The Presidential coat of arms (the U.S. COA as depicted on the Presidential seal) formerly had the eagle facing sinister [to its own left], toward the arrows. This design was incorporated into the 1916 Presidential flag. The direction of the head was reversed when the flag was redesigned in 1945, as much to have the eagle facing the honorable dexter direction as to have it looking toward the olive branches.”**

Though the eagle on this drum holds peace branches in both of its talons, the basic format of the eagle (resting atop the horizontal shield, beak open and poised as if to fiercely strike or defend) probably has more meaning. Some have observed that this style is more often seen during 19th century wartime illustrations.

One possibility for the identity of the drum’s owner is William H. Atkins, who enlisted with the 2nd Massachusetts Infantry on the 5th of May, 1861, in the surge of patriotism that closely followed the attack on Ft. Sumter. A sailor from Castine, Maine, Atkins mustered into Company “I” as a private and served only a year before deserting at Williamsport, MD. The fact that he served so short a time might account for the drum’s outstanding condition. Another factor could be that Atkins, age 23, was not a drummer boy, and so only carried his drum when his duties called for band participation. In the case of some of the more well-funded regiments (those who could afford bands), instruments were probably carried by horse and wagon.

According to “Record of the Second Massachusetts Infantry, 1861-65”, by Alonzo Hall Quint, (its Chaplain), the 2nd Mass. had a band, which was somewhat unusual. On page 18, he writes: “The non-commissioned staff was made up as follows:…” “…Henry Kesselhuth, who had been a soldier (and wounded) in the Brunswick service in the revolutions of 1848, drum major; and Charles Speigle was band-leader until regimental bands were discharged. That band, raised under the auspices of P.S. Gilmore, was a rare acquisition.”***

Further support of the theory that this particular W.H. Atkins may have been the owner of the drum lies in the fact that the drum was recently found between the towns of Liberty and Union, Maine. These two small towns are basically across the bay from Castine, (an on-land distance of about 50 miles and shorter by boat).

Condition: Minor breakdown in the leather. Minor paint loss. The drum has no significant issues and is as near-to-mint as one can find in a 19th century example. The fact that it has its original ropes and leather ears is remarkable.

* Kelly, Marvin. “Antebellum American, 1784-1865: Drums in the Civil War Era”, 2001

** McMillan, Joe. “Flag Urban Legends (U.S.): Eagle Faces ... Olive Branch (peace)/Arrows (war)”, 2001

*** Quint, Alonzo. “Record of the Second Massachusetts Infantry, 1861-65”, James P. Walker, Boston, 1867, p. 18.

Inv. Number pat-106

Width (inches): 16"
Height (inches): 11.25"
Depth: 116"
Primary Color: black, red, white, blue
Earliest Date: 1861
Latest Date: 1865
Available: Sold
Price SOLD

Snare Mechanism Identical to J.H. Buckbee Drums

Note from the Blogmaster: Imagine my surprise and delight to find that the above drum bears the rare snare mechanism characteristic of J.H. Buckbee drums. If the dating on the above drum is correct (1861-1865) what does that suggest about the dating of the following two J.H. Buckbee drums bearing the same snare mechanism design?


Known for Banjos, J.H. Buckbee Made Drums Too, published in this blog, April 13, 2008.

Blue Wreath Eagle Bass Drum (1845-1865)

Sold by Jeff R. Bridgeman Antiques:

HUGE AMERICAN MILITARY LONG DRUM, FLAME GRAIN-DECORATED, WITH LARGE GOLD EAGLE IN BLUE WREATH, 1845-65:

A Long drum is a British-style, field bass drum that is rare among surviving American military examples. This is especially true among long drums that are elaborately paint-decorated.

This is one of two huge long drums that I recently acquired, both of which are equally exceptional, both of which are painted all the way around (as opposed to a painted panel that takes up 30% to 50% of the surface), and both of which have impressive eagles as center medallions on the front. Of the two, this particular example is more unusual, due to its yellow and orange paint decoration that mimics crotch grain mahogany, but in such bright colors that it is reminiscent of flaming birch or some exotic wood. This continues all the way around the shell, the seam of which is decoratively reinforced with brass tacks. A large gold eagle, outlined in black, is at the center of a whimsical border of Prussian blue scroll work, while the rims of the drum are painted a beautiful tomato red.

Provenance: The drum was once on the cover of the catalogue of the Horse Soldier in Gettysburg (one of the nation’s foremost Civil War dealers).

Condition: The condition of the paint is outstanding, with only minor imperfections and loss. The surface was certainly cleaned, but expertly, and there is no in-painting whatsoever. The batter heads, flesh hoops, ropes, and lugs (leather tighteners) have been replaced. This is standard, acceptable and expected in early drums. There is no maker’s label inside, but the shadow remains where one was originally present.

Inv. Number pat-101

Width (inches): 23"
Height (inches): 25"
Depth: 23"
Primary Color: yellow, gold, orange, blue
Earliest Date: 1845
Latest Date: 1865
Available: Sold
Price SOLD

Blue Eagle Bass Drum (1845-1865)

Sold by Jeff R. Bridgeman Antiques:

HUGE AMERICAN MILITARY LONG DRUM, DYNAMIC EAGLE ON A PRUSSIAN BLUE GROUND, 1845-1865:

A Long drum is a British-style, field bass drum that is rare among surviving American military examples. This is especially true among long drums that are elaborately paint-decorated. This is one of two huge long drums that I recently acquired, both of which are equally exceptional, both of which are painted all the way around (as opposed to a painted panel that takes up 30% to 50% of the surface), and both of which have impressive eagles as center medallions on the front. Of the two, this example has a more dramatic eagle, larger and bolder. The Prussian blue background is more traditional, but no less wonderful, and likely indicates that this was an infantry drum. Blue was the specified background color for the drums of an infantry division, though much variation is seen because the organization of volunteer and state militias was rather weak in mid-19th century America and outfitting was vastly inconsistent. The back of the drum is striped in oxblood red and black, outlined in gold, while the banded rims are also in the same red.

There are two perforations on this drum. The original vent hole, rimmed with a whalebone or ivory escutcheon, is decorated with a circlet of brass tacks. A second, make-do hole is covered with a tin escutcheon. Unlike the first, it is rather battered with wear. While it appears to be a second vent hole, it is possible that it may actually be a place in which to secure the drum to a strap. In any event, it was obviously utilitarian and is rather unusual.

Condition: The condition of the paint is outstanding, with less than expected loss. The surface was certainly cleaned, but expertly, and there is no in-painting whatsoever. The surface was re-coating with shellac afterwards according to one of two repair labels on the interior (dated 1961 and 2007). The heads, ropes, and ears (leather tighteners) have been replaced, also as noted. This is standard, acceptable and expected in early drums. There is no maker’s label unless a repair label was placed on top of it.

Inv. Number pat-102

Width (inches): 25"
Height (inches): 27"
Depth: 25"
Primary Color: blue
Earliest Date: 1845
Latest Date: 1865
Available: Sold
Price SOLD