Through the Smoke: Communication on the Revolutionary Battle Field

In today's reenactments nothing is more ubiquitous than the precise beat of a unit's fife and drum corps. It's always a crowd favorite, spreads an aura of patriotism across the field and, of course, helps reenactors stay in step on the march. But staying in step, while important, was only part of the music's role in the 18th century.