Band at the execution

[NHjohn]

(06-28-2014 01:30 PM)BettyO Wrote:  I agree, Laurie. I truly think that if a band had been at the arsenal (Lemonade and Cake vendors aside) that someone would have remarked upon it. I really don't know what to make of the drummers now - unless it was just another instance of someone wanting to "get into the act" later by having the "fame" of having played at the execution. It could be true; it may not be. That the food vendors were recorded to me, proves that they were actually there - as "tasteless" as it may be....

Here's my position. I don't mean to question anybody's past writing, but when it comes to finding regimental and other sized bands from 1861-66, I've been doing it full-time since 2004. By that I mean, I have a police retirement pension, and finding bands is what I do 40+ hours a week. This is an investigation to me. I take all the evidence found by previously, assume nothing, and start over from the beginning. It's like a dead case file. I find old, dead Civil War bandsmen. After 10 years, I have a pretty good handle on Civil War volunteer army rank structure, command, authority, military parlance of the day, where bandsmen came from, how/where/when they mustered in, how they were trained, what their duties were, how they transferred between units and states, what happened to them after they were sick/injured, when/how/where they mustered out. I've also discovered that while a tremendous amount of literature has been written about the Civil War & Lincoln, there are still entities/units etc., left untouched. The Veteran Reserve Corps is one. I've also discovered that there is so much written about one subject, that small things are assumed because "everyone knows." I'm still stuck on Bvt. Maj.Gen. Hartranft..."Special Provost and in charge of the prison..." Overall, yes for the purposes of the trial and execution, but Lt. Col. Newton Colby, 19th VRC, was in-charge of the Old Capitol Prison, from July 1864 thru July 1865. The prison had a hospital, and the duties of the Veteran Reserve Corps were to guard military prisons, draft rendezvous camps, military hospitals etc. The prison housed spies, forgers, contraband slaves, 20 of Mosby's Rangers, Belle Boyd etc. While I assume since Colby was 19th VRC, his men and staff were also (but this needs to be verified) I'm trying to find out how many VRC were stationed at the prison and hospital, and since most Army Hospitals in DC had bands, good chance the prison hospital had one also.