Duties of Bandsmen
Musical duties of bands varied:
•They performed concerts, parades and ceremonies for troops in camp.
•They "drummed soldiers out of the Army" when soldiers were being dishonorably discharged.
•They performed for funerals and executions.
•The bands played for troops marching into battle, actually performing concerts in forward positions during the fighting.
The military and patriotic music the bands performed discouraged the enemy and rallied soldiers to victory.
•Some bands were stationed at major military hospitals lifting the morale of suffering soldiers.
Non-Musical duties of bands were mostly medical:
•Before battles they gathered wood for splints for broken bones.
•They helped set up field hospitals.
•They carried wounded soldiers to hospitals.
•They helped doctors perform operations on wounded soldiers.
The picture below shows musicians practicing the rescue of wounded soldiers.
