Having completed her first year of college, with a 4.0 GPA, my daughter joined me and my son at Drummer’s Call, which celebrates Armed Forces weekend.
In the 18th century military units depended greatly on fifes and drums to communicate signals to the troops, and even to the enemy.
In between all the Drummer’s call events, I took gobs of photos of the lovely spring gardens.
SUCCESSFUL CAMPAIGN
The grand weekend begins with a Friday evening program called, Successful Campaign, which begins in Merchant Square with the fifing and drumming of the Colonial Williamsburg Alumni Fife and Drum Corps!
Whereas some graduated from the corps a few years ago, others graduated decades ago, yet they continue to keep their precision skills in step!
After their program, we went inside Kimball Theater to watch the performances of the Colonial Williamsburg Senior Fife and Drum Corps…
as well as their invited guests from Massachusetts!
It was a grand evening as always!
FIRST OVAL OFFICE
The American Revolution changed the course of the tailoring trade when the need for tents became paramount for soldiers and generals, especially His Excellency, General George Washington.
The Museum of the American Revolution is teaming with Colonial Williamsburg in reproducing General Washington’s marquee, represented here as a scale model.
The project officially opened at the Secretary’s Office during Drummer’s Call weekend, on Saturday morning.
The first stitches began on a lovely linen woven by the Colonial Williamsburg weaver, which they let me touch!
These will comprise the inner chamber, which housed Washington’s canopy bed, on display in the corner.
GRAND MARCH
Colonel Patrick Henry of the Virginia military opens the Grand March by announcing each of the Fife and Drum Corps units with a rousing patriotic speech!
Opening the Grand March is a young fifer from the Colonial Williamsburg Junior Fife and Drum Corps, whose first notes calls the rest of the group together to lead the other units in a march down Duke of Gloucester Street.
This march that begins with the Junior Fife and Drum Corps, ends with the Senior Fife and Drum Corps, both of Colonial Williamsburg.
In between are various guests who arrived from across the country by invitation.
This year my favorite unit had these young flag bearers who were too cute!
GRAND REVIEW
After the National Anthem, the Grand Review of the different units began on Market Square.
Since rain threatened and eventually sprinkled at the end of the Grand Review, then fell steadily through the rest of the day and evening, we weren’t sure if Tattoo would be canceled.
As the sun set during drizzly rain, we found all the fifers and drummers in front of the Palace.
Right on cue, as the first corps unit marched out with their torch bearers, in hearty fifing and drumming, the rain stopped! What a fun evening!
MILITARY TATTOO
Traditionally tattoo was played before evening retreat was called for the troops, when the fife and drum corps marched past the taverns while beating out the signal to “turn off the taps.”
The origin of the word tattoo is die den tap toe, from the Dutch.
Eventually this signal came to be called Taptoe…which assimilated (changed in pronunciation for ease of speech) to Tattoo.
Beginning in front of the Palace Green as night time fell, each unit, escorted by torch bearers, marched down the Palace Green and then Duke of Gloucester Street, to Shields Tavern.
Of course, the crowd enthusiastically followed behind them!
The Colonial Williamsburg Senior Fife and Drum Corps took the final spot in the march to the taverns.
When they arrived, they closed out the evening with a tune, then the annual jam session broke loose!
One of the fifers invited my son to join them for the jam session.
I watched one of the drummers take the drums off himself and put them on his son so he could play! I think that is so neat.
It is great fun to stand around and listen to all the groups jamming out multiple tunes in succession in a wild and furious manner!
SPRING GARDENS
FIRST OVAL OFFICE
Sunday morning, we returned to see the first twenty-four hours of progress.
The project is expected to be completed by August.
I’m looking forward to coming as often as possible to watch the progress!
BENEDICT ARNOLD ARRIVES IN WILLIAMSBURG
I recently learned that Colonel Dundis (on the left) follows General Benedict Arnold everywhere, to ensure he’s not a double agent.
Even the British don’t trust him!
No one trusts a turncoat.
It’s one thing to decide on loyalty before the war, but it’s deplorable to change from one side to the other in the middle of the war.
After the American Revolution, Benedict Arnold was basically a man without a country…all due to pride.
PUBLIC AUDIENCE WITH BENEDICT ARNOLD
As Benedict Arnold arrived to a public audience, while limping heavily with his cane, the turncoat reminded us that his limp derived from injuries sustained fighting battles for the patriot side.
Limping to the stage, General Arnold audaciously but politely laid out the ground rules for the discussion, knowing we were not loyalists.
He would extend respect to us and in return he expected respect from us, while he allowed queries formed in politeness.
Then he called my son to the stage!
BENEDICT ARNOLD CALLS MY SON TO THE STAGE
Seeking to prove his authenticity, General Arnold wanted my son to help him with the program opening.
As General Arnold apologized for turning his back to us, he asked my son to state to the audience whether he (Arnold) had a tail growing out of his back.
My son said, “No.”
Arnold exclaimed, “Don’t tell me, direct your answer to the audience, loud and clear.”
My son faced us and clearly announced, “He does not have a tail.”
(We were enjoying this!)
Then General Arnold turned around and took off his hat and asked my son if he (Arnold) had any horns growing out of his head.
My son exclaimed to the audience, “He does not have any horns growing out of his head!”
“See!” General Arnold triumphantly exclaimed.
“I am not the dev*l that you may have read about in the gazettes!”
We were all laughing! This was great!
BENEDICT ARNOLD IN HEATED ARGUMENT WITH A GUEST
My son was allowed to return to his seat next to us, while General Arnold told a bit of his story and answered the queries that we posed.
Not all of the questions were as polite as Arnold preferred and there was quite an exchange of words at some points!
He was especially upset when insinuations were posed about his wife, causing him to go into a bit of a tirade.
This was a wonderful and humorous program where we learned a lot, allowing us to dig deeper into the enigma of Benedict Arnold.
HORSE ENJOYING FIELD OF CLOVER
