The Forgotten Front – Drummers

by nolahistoryguy | Sep 15, 2026 | Baton Rouge, Brother Martin High, French-Spanish Colonial

The forces fighting on the Gulf Coast used drummers to pass along orders.

Drummer, British 16th Foot, Baton Rouge, 1778

Drummers on the Forgotten Front

All the forces fighting in the American Revolution communicated orders from commanders to their troops in battle via drums. Above is the uniform of a drummer of the British 16th Foot, at the Battle of Baton Rouge, 1779. The armies created specific “cadences’ to signal various units. Here’s (more-or-less) how it worked:

A commanding general desires a change in troop placement. He instructs an aide-de-camp, often called a “galloper,” to ride forward with orders for a divisional or regimental commander.

Upon receipt of the orders, that officer turns to a drummer, who beat a cadence to signal company commanders. Those officers in turn might have their drummers signal platoons.

So, the drummer was an essential cog in the wheel of combat. Drum cadences had the advantage of penetrating smoke, fog, and other bad weather conditions. While flags could spell out orders, conditions had to be right for them to be useful.

Drummer boys

3rd Waldeck Regiment (Hessian), Drummer, 1778

The notion of the drummer boy has been romanticized over the centuries, but the lives of drummers were anything but easy. Boys as young as ten followed along with army units. Some were children of soldiers, others runaways or orphans. Since these boys lacked the height and strength to carry a musket and stand in the iine of battle, they enabled grown men (be they even just teens a few years older) to fight. in many ways, the drummers were particularly vulnerable, as they weren’t able to defend themselves while performing their duties.

Uniforms

Soldier of the 3rd Waldeck Regiment (Hessian), in British service at Baton Rouge, 1778

Commanders needed to find their drummers immediately, so orders could be passed in a timely matter. So, the boys often wore uniforms of the opposite colors of the soldiers. That simplified recognition. For example, the 3rd Waldeck Regiment, Hessian mercenaries in British service, wore blue uniforms with yellow facings. Their drummers were yellow coats with blue facings.

Soldier, British 16th Foot, Baton Rouge, 1778

The 16th Foot wore the classic “redcoat” of the British Army, while their drummers also wore yellow. “Royal” regiments of the British Army wore blue facings on their red coats. The drummers of those units wore blue coats.

Evolution

The Golden Band From Tiger Land, marching into Tiger Stadium, 252 years after the Battle of Baton Rouge

Towards the end of the 19th Century, army units switched from drum signals to bugles. Buglers communicated orders in cavalry units for quite some time, since drumming while riding was a challenge. infantry units switched over, usually tasking the drummers with playing the bugle. If you ever go to London and watch the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace, you may notice that the drummers of the Guards bands wear a bugle slung over their shoulders.

The drumline leads Crusader Band into the gym at Brother Martin High School.

Drums continue in armies to this day. They provide the cadence for soldiers marching on parade, as well as providing rhythm when military bands perform. This evolved all the way down to elementary school bands. High school and college bands almost always include a drum line. So, those teen boys risking injury and death were the predecessors of the Golden Band From Tiger Land’s drummers playing “Bleu Raiders,” or the Brother Martin High School Crusader Band, marching into the Conlin Gym for a pep rally.

How You Can Help NOLA History Guy

Things you can do RIGHT NOW to help us out!

1. ​​Buy my books! ​Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
2. ​​Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event​ – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
3. ​​Buy me a Coffee​ on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
4. ​​Become a patron.​ Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!