Band at the execution

[John E.]

(06-25-2014 09:53 AM)L Verge Wrote:  John has never run across any mention of a band, but we'll keep looking.
I also wonder if a drummer or band could have been sent over from the Marine Barracks, where the Marine Band was stationed.

Just to piggy back on what Laurie said, I don't recall ever reading an execution account that mentioned drummers or a drum cadence. Back in 2012, Betty was kind enough to share the article she found regarding the obituary of the drummer who supposedly was present at the execution. As mentioned, there were supposed to have been 10 drummers. Unfortunately, none of the photographs Gardner took that day show drummers. That doesn't mean they weren't there, it just means they weren't photographed.

There are a couple of things that are a bit dubious to me. One, the story about the drummer didn't come from the drummer himself. It came from his obituary.

Second, many of the writers who were present that day didn't mention the drummer's cadence. They mention all sorts of stuff and really described the scene in great detail. You would think that they would have latched on to the drum cadence because it would have added to the dramatic scene.