Inciting Men to Heroic Deeds

This entry was found at the Library of Congress website in an article about Civil War bands.

One of the few references to bands in the Civil War appeared in Dwight's Journal, dated September 28, 1861:

Gilmore's celebrated band has been engaged to accompany Col. Stephenson's Regiment to the war. The band will consist of sixty-eight pieces, including twenty drummers and twelve buglers. Such a band was never enjoyed by a regiment before, and it will probably incite the men to heroic deeds if loyal men can need any new stimulus in such a time as this. The band will appear three times more before the Boston public at the Promenade Concerts.

Band of the 8th New York State Militia, Arlington, Va., June, 1861, from the Library of Congress Collection