Second Maryland
Fifes And Drums
Welcome to the Second Maryland Fifes and Drums website!
Since 1957 our goal has been to research and reproduce the long-lost sights and sounds that were not only common to, but also cherished by the Soldiers on both sides of the American Civil War.
Through public interaction and performances of autentic Civil War field music, we stive to honor and preserve the memory of those who fought and died during the bloodiest conflict in our Nation's history.
"We had a large drum corps, and its quick-step march was unique in that army of 30,000 men around Manassas that summer. It was a fine sight to see the 1st Maryland Infantry marching with that quick Zouave step by which they were distinguished. It was a sturdy body of men, not as tall as the Virginia regiments usually were, but well set up, active and alert and capable of much endurance."
Randolph McKim
Second Maryland Fife and Drum Corps History
By Les Jensen
This organization originates from the Continental Boys Fifes & Drums, which started in the late 1950s. The Potomac Field Music (PFM) was later formed out of the Continental Boys in the early 1960s for the Civil War Centennial. The PFM was a fife and drum corps that often used mixed uniforms, US and CS, within the same corps and was not only a part of, but one of the originators of the authentic movement. Robert L. Miller was the sponsor and father figure for the PFM and the corps grew up around and was well known by the leading lights of the Company of Military Historians, including Bob Miller, Lee Wallace and Harold Peterson.
Many of the adults who were mentors for the corps were leading collectors, including Denis and Jeremys father, COL Jeremiah J. Reen, who at one time had one of the foremost Confederate arms collections in the country. Thus, the authenticity aspect was very strongly aided by the fact that the members of the PFM had ready access to some of the best collections around. The PFM affiliated with the North South Skirmish Association (N-SSA) through people they knew, and later became their official music. Thats why we still march down to the line with music at every National shoot; just as weve always done. We may still be the official music, though I doubt anybody knows it!
The PFM continued through the Civil War Centennial. I first met them about 1963, when I was a drummer with the Colonial Williamsburg Fife and Drum Corps and the PFM came down for one of our musters (I joined CW in 1962). My first performance with the PFM was in May, 1964 at the New Market re-enactment, so even then I was a little late to the game. By this time, when reenactments involved turning out as infantry, the PFM was allying with two other organizations; the Hog Hill Guard, made up of North Carolina boys under Luther Sowers, and the 2d North Carolina, a group centered in Philadelphia under George Gorman. Another part of the 2d NC was the Michigan crew, including Dave Jurgella, Gary Carpenter and several others. The 2d NC were considered the bad boys of the Centennial, but also the most authentic Confederates in existence at the time. Many of us were tied in with Gorgeous George and the 2d NC.
The end of the Centennial in 1965 started people thinking in other directions, and in 1966 the 1st Maryland Regiment (Revolutionary War) was formed by Bill Brown, Burt Kummerow, Dick Milstead and others and based at Fort Frederick Maryland. The PFM became the music of the First Maryland and we continued as Rev War musicians until the First Maryland officially mustered out in 1983. In keeping with the authenticity movement, we strove to recreate the First Maryland as authentically as we could and by adding in the 2d Pennsylvania and the 9th Virginia we created the Corps of the Continental Line, which fielded roughly 250 people for the 1976 Bicentennial parade in Philadelphia. We later fielded close to that for the Paris trip in 1983. During those years many of the stalwarts you know came together in the First Maryland, including Larry Babits, Ross Kelbaugh, Ross Kimmel, Mike Burkey, Fred Gaede, Jim Sanders, Jim Wareheim, Bill McIntosh, Vance Sheffer, Dave Jurgella, myself and of course, Denis and Jeremy Reen.
Once the Bicentennial was over there was interest in getting back into Civil War, which we had done at various times throughout the bicentennial. We went through several iterations including doing a Yankee impression as the 1st Maryland Regiment, Potomac Home Brigade as well as the 1st Pennsylvania Reserves. In the early to mid 1970s National Park Service living history programs began to create another venue for us. At that time a small group of ex-Williamsburg fifers and drummers formed the 32d Virginia Fifes & Drums and did their first Living History at Chancellorsville in about 1977. Tom Tankersley, Tom Rice, Charlie Breeland and Dave Cheatham came out of that group and eventually hooked up with us and I became the titular commander of that group while still a member of the Potomac Home Brigade.
The 32d later dropped out of the camp and that brought in Charlie Childs, Vance Sheffer and Dave Jurgella. Charlie was beginning his cloth business about that time as well but was always tied in with us. Ultimately, we began to turn out again as Confederates and so designated ourselves as the 2d Maryland. Because other 2d Marylanders also took the field, particularly during the 125th anniversary of the Civil War, we evolved to Company E, which was the Irish company of the original 2d Maryland. During the 125th anniversary years we allied with the 20th Tennessee under Anthony Hodges but when the 125th ended the 20th sort of dissolved and we saw little of them afterwards. Their ranks included Todd Groce, Myers Brown, Bob Parker and a number of others. Myers by the way currently serves as Secretary for the Company of Military Historians and Ive kept in touch with him and a couple of others. Doug Cubbison of the 20th was until recently our historic preservation officer at West Point, so its amazing to see what all these connections have lead to.
Since the 125th weve continued as an F&D organization with infantry support from a lot of the old guys. Dennis always shot N-SSA with the Black hats (1st Maryland) where Jerry Rolphs influence on authenticity within that group is also part of the story. Over time, many of us joined up with the shooters of the 1st Maryland, where we are today. Some decided to go artillery with Ross Kimmel as leader, first as Baltimore Light Artillery and now as Hardaways Battery. So really, both Hardaways and the 1st Maryland are fingers of the same hand. A number of people have maintained membership in other N-SSA units while also playing with us as 2d Maryland ; Gil Hocker, Alan and Lon Lacey, Eric Emde and Jim Beale come to mind.
Through all of this, the main things that have distinguished us are our quest for good music, authenticity, research, collecting and an intellectual approach to this business of recreating the past. Although sometimes it seems were more about drinking and playing music than anything else, I think the deeper interest is always there even if we sometimes seem to refuse to admit it!
As such, weve always had an informal tie to the Company of Military Historians. Dennis, Larry, Juanita, Mike, Vance, Jim Wareheim, and several others are members and of course Im President for the moment. The Company has always been the leader in researching and publishing material culture (i.e., stuff) of the military in the western hemisphere and it has always had an influence on our group. (And if youre not a member, you should be).
So, weve evolved over the years in various directions and under various names, but the core group has always stayed together. Denis and Jeremy are the real charter members; since they started in 1957 or so (thats roughly fifty years)!!
2009 Schedule
May 2 - Apple Blossom Parade - Winchester VA
May 13-17 - 119th N-SSA Spring Nationals - Winchester VA
May 24-25 - Kent County Memorial Day Parade - Chestertown MD
June 13-14 - White Oak Museum - Falmouth VA
July 3-5 - Playing at O'Rourkes Pub in Gettysburg (daily) - Cashtown Inn, Cashtown PA (evenings)
Sep 19-20 - Sharpsburg Heritage Day Festival - Sharpsburg MD
Sep 30 - Oct 4 - 120th N-SSA Fall Nationals - Winchester VA
Nov 21 - Remembrance Day Parade - Gettysburg PA
Schedule is subject to change. Additional events may be added.
It's those Marylanders Again!
Field Music of the Civil War - Volume II
1. The Yellow Rose of Texas - Stonewall Jackson's Way - Dixie
2. Frog in the Well - Old Zip Coon - Arkansas Traveler
3. Balquhidder Lasses - Hey, Jonnie Cope - U.S. March
4. Prince Eugene's March
5. Paddy O'Toole - Irish Washerwoman
6. Listen to the Mockingbird
7. March in Cmon
8. Hell on the Wabash
9. The Harriot Korn Likker
10. Owl Creek Quick Step - No Part Quick Step
11. Quick Step
12. Fort McHenry Quick Step
13. The Rose Tree - The Rakes of Mallow
14. Welcome Here Again - Old 1812
15. Soldier's Joy - Fisher's Hornpipe - Mathew's Hornpipe
16. Oh, Susanna - Granny does your dog bite?
17. Farewell to Whisky - Empty Pockets Quickstep
18. Liverpool Hornpipe - Hanover
19. New Tatter Jack Quickstep
20. Old Dan Tucker - My Grandfather's Clock
21. Captain Mackintosh
22. Harum Scarum
23. Hog-Eye Man
24. Merry Men Home From the Grave - Walter's Quickstep
25. Sole Leather Quickstep - Devil's Dream
26. The First of September - York's Fulisiers
27. Gay and Happy
28. Maryland, my Maryland
Band of Brothers
Field Music of the Civil War - Volume III
1) The Girl I Left Behind Me
2) Governor's Island
3) Road to Boston, Flowing Bowl
4) Ricketts' Hornpipe, Rosebud Reel
5) The Bonnie Blue Flag, Baltimore
6) Downshire
7) Chain Cotillion
8) Guilderoy, White Cockade, Rights of Man
9) Garryowen, Top of Cork Road
10) Moonlight Quickstep, Oyster River Hornpipe
11) Poor Cato
12) Bob Tailed Hoss, Ring De Banjo
13) Ah Ca Ira, Downfall of Paris
14) The Troop, Duke of York's Troop
15) Nolan the Soldier, Marionette's Cotillion
16) The Jay Bird, Fireman's Quickstep
17) Pleasures of Spa
18) Jordan is (Richmond is) a Hard Road
19) Kenderbeck's Quickstep
20) Pop Goes the Weasel, The Campbells are Coming
21) Larry O'Brian
22) Newport
23) The House O' Duncan, Colonel Robertson's Welcome
24) The Minstrel Boy
25) King William Quickstep
26) Some Distance from Prussia
27) Maryland My Maryland, O Carry Me Back to Old Virginia
