Two new out-of-print publications have been added to the Books and Manuals resource page, which include materials from the early to mid-1900s. The publications are “Belwin Fife and Drum Corp Builder – Books 1 and 2”, by Acton E. Ostling, 1955. He was the first and long-serving band director at the University of Evansville, holding the position for 36 years before his passing in 1993. Enjoy this glimpse into our shared drumming history and happy drumming!
Tag Archives: books
New Category – Books and Manuals
I am pleased to announce the addition of a new category of free downloadable resources, Books and Manuals, devoted to early 1900s drum manuals and books. The initial release includes “Henry Potter’s Side Drum Beatings,” compiled by J. Winter (1910), and “The Harry A. Bower System,” by Harry A. Bower (1912). These join the previously added works of Edward B. Straight and Eric Perrilloux. New resources will be added in the coming weeks. All pre-1900s documents, books, and manuals can still be found on the Historical Documents page. I hope you enjoy the available resources and those to come. Thank you for your continuing support and happy drumming!
Drummer Boy Diaries and Recollections from the Civil War
Quite by chance I stumbled upon the published diary of a young Civil War drummer boy. Naturally, I was curious if other such accounts existed. I am happy to say that indeed other publications exist. Below you will find information about three such books. These books are in the public domain and I am making them available for download in PDF format. Links are also provided to the original online source where other formats are available. I’ve only just begun to read these and hope you look forward to reading them as much as I.
- The Recollections of a Drummer-Boy by Harry M. Kieffer (1845-1930)
- Originally published in 1881, this copy revised and published in 1911
- Was in the 150th Regiment Pennsylvania Volunteers
- Source: Internet Archive
- A Drummer-Boy’s Diary: Comprising Four Years of Service with the Second Regiment Minnesota Veteran Volunteers, 1861-1865 by William Bircher (1845-1917)
- Published in 1889
- Was in the 2nd Regiment Minnesota Veteran Volunteers
- Source: Internet Archive
- Drum Taps in Dixie: Memories of a Drummer Boy, 1861-1865 by Delavan S. Miller (1849-1917)
- Published in 1905
- Was in the 2nd New York Heavy Artillery Regiment
- Source: Internet Archive
Since these accounts refer to specific dates and locations during the Civil War, you may want to brush up on your Civil War history. Here are some links to get you started:
Buy It Now
$9.95 E-book at Amazon Print version coming soon!
$9.95 E-book at Amazon Print Version coming soon!
