The drummer was an important member of the eighteenth-century military. Through the beating of drums, officers communicated orders to their men, particularly during a battle or while on a march. When the troops were in barracks, certain drum calls were sounded at prescribed times each day. These signals not only notified the garrison that it was time to perform certain activities; they also informed the civilian population, who became used to these regular beatings, of the time of day.
The drummer wore a uniform different from the rest of the troops in order to be easily recognized on the field of battle. The uniform of the Compagnies franches drummer was very similar to that of the Louisbourg's artillery company, except that it was trimmed with many yards of braid, known as the livery of the king. The drum major, the equivalent of a sergeant for drummers, wore an even more elaborate braid on his uniform. Drums were large, sixty-one centimetres high and from forty-six to sixty-one centimetres in diameter. Those of the Compagnies franches were painted blue and decorated with gold fleurs-de-lis. The heads of the drums were of goat or calf skin. Since these materials become very limp in damp weather, the drummers at Louisbourg must frequently have had a difficult time executing proper drum rolls. This watercolour from the period around 1720 appeared in the journal Neptunia (122).
Courtesy: Library, Canadian War Museum, National Museum of Man
