# Did Western armies use drummers in any war after the Civil War?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-western-armies-use-drummers-in-any-war-after-the-civil-war/619454>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 20, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-western-armies-use-drummers-in-any-war-after-the-civil-war/619454 "2012-04-20T21:39:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Quintas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/48db29/32.png) [@Quintas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quintas)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2012, 9:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-western-armies-use-drummers-in-any-war-after-the-civil-war/619454/1 "2012-04-20T21:39:11Z")

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Marching into battle with a guy with a snare drum setting the pace. Franco-Prussian war? Or was it outdated even by then?

edit:By ‘Civil War’ i’m referring to the American Civil War.

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-western-armies-use-drummers-in-any-war-after-the-civil-war/619454/2 "2012-04-21T01:28:33Z")

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According to a trivia site I found the Battle of Isandhlwana on Jan 22, 1879 was the last time drummers were used, but there is no cite given and this could be about as accurate as a Snapple bottle for all I know.

Wikipedia article about the battle, in case you are curious (doesn’t mention drummers):

> **[Battle of Isandlwana](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Isandlwana)**
>
> Zulu victory
> Overall commander:
> Maj. Gen. Lord Chelmsford
> Subordinate commanders:
> Bvt. Lt-Col. Henry Pulleine †
> Overall commander:
> Ntshingwayo kaMahole Khoza
> Subordinate commanders:
> Vumindaba kaNthati
> Mavumengwana kaNdlela

Other sites say the U.S. Civil War was the last to use drummers, but those may be American-centric.

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**Author:** ![coremelt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4491bb/32.png) [@coremelt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/coremelt)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2012, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/did-western-armies-use-drummers-in-any-war-after-the-civil-war/619454/3 "2012-04-21T05:34:50Z")

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A quick google search returns references to marching Drummers being still used during the second Boer war (1899-1902). Does British battalions in Colonial India count as “western”? I think it’s likely Drummers were used right up to independence in 1947 as the British Indian Army was more traditional than the actual British Army. Also they were fighting traditional cavalry right until 1919, eg the Third Anglo-Afghan war:

> **[Third Anglo-Afghan War](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third_Anglo-Afghan_War)**
>
> See outcome
>  Afghanistan United Kingdom