Legion of the United States Infantry Drummer, 1794--single figure
$50.00
Item Number: 16132
Legion of the United States Infantry Drummer, 1794
From 1792 to 1796, the United States Army was officially reorganized into combined arms units inspired by the classic Roman legions. The Secretary of War, Henry Knox, and Major General Anthony Wayne, the commander of the Legion, had both begun their military educations with Julius Caesar’s Commentaries. The parallels between the Roman Army’s campaigns in Gaul and the warfare on the North American frontier were significant. With the recent disasters of 1790-91, an overhaul of the conventional organization of the small Federal army was thought to be best implemented with an increase in manpower. Each regiment, now designated as a sub-legion, included infantry, riflemen, light dragoons, and artillery.
Although in many ways the dress and training of the Legion of the United States was a departure from the traditional organization of the United States Army, the tradition of dressing the field musicians in reversed colors was retained. Drummers and fifers of the period were still important components of an infantry company, not only signaling important battle commands, but every day duties by beats and tunes. The reversed colors of their uniforms made them easy to identify by officers and men alike from the rank and file wearing blue coats faced red.
Released in DECEMBER 2022.
