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Drum 2004-28
British Army Side Drum, 23rd Regt. "Royal Welsh Fusiliers"
Drum 2004-28

British Army Side Drum, 23rd Regt. "Royal Welsh Fusiliers"

Dateca. 1770-1800
OriginAmerica or Europe or Great Britain
MediumWood, parchment, rope, gut, iron, brass, and paint
DimensionsHeight: 18" Diameter: 17" (across hoops)
Credit LineMuseum Purchase
Object number2004-28
DescriptionA British Army side drum painted with the badge, devices, and a Battle Honour of the 23rd Regiment of Foot, also known as the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. The shell is made of a single sheet of ash, bent around on itself and joined with a row of iron tacks. Brass tacks form a decorative geometric panel and a large "GR," for Georgius Rex. Its wooden rims are painted with red and dark blue stripes. Leather "ears" slide to tension the ropes for tuning the drumhead, and gut snares are secured to the snarehead below by the lower hoop. A "drag rope," which acts as a carrying sling, is formed from the extra length of the tensioning rope.

The drum's decoration centers around the unit's Regimental badge, composed of the Prince of Wales’s three ostrich plumes, a coronet, and the motto "ICH DIEN" inscribed on a ribbon. Surrounding the badge are three Regimental devices including the Red Dragon of Wales, the Rising Sun, the White Horse of Hanover (awarded for the Battle of Dettingen, fought in 1743), and the "Sphinx" Battle Honour awarded for the 1801 victory over the French in Egypt.
Label TextLittle evokes the spirit of the 18th century military like the snare drum. It embodied the pride of the corps, was an integral part of lively marching music, and was central to the relaying of audible commands on and off the battlefield. Drums were cherished and often decorated to reflect a cause, allegiance, or the specific unit it belonged to. Embellished or not, by the Revolutionary War drums were high on the list of trophies to be captured in combat, second only to flags or Colours.

The once vividly painted devices and color schemes of this snare or "side" drum indicate that it belonged to the 23rd "Royal Welsh Fusiliers," one of Britain’s most famed infantry regiments. The Sphinx "Battle Honor," awarded for the victory over Napoleon’s forces in Egypt, dates the visible artwork to no earlier than 1802. However, drums were touched up and updated as necessary. Thus, the top coat of paint on thus drum is simply the latest in a series of painting campaigns to both the shell and the striped hoops. Another clue is an earlier form of the Prince of Wales’s device, where the ribbon with "ICH DIEN" is laced behind the bottoms of the plumes. This seems to have fallen out of fashion in the beginning of the 19th c., when it was superseded by "ICH" and "DIEN" on two separate, shorter ribbons emanating from the bottom corners of the coronet.

After arriving at Colonial Williamsburg, the drum was disassembled, analyzed, and treated by Colonial Williamsburg's conservators, who revealed there is much more to this remarkable instrument's story. X-rays and trace evidence found on the inside of the shell indicate it once had a different paint scheme and a now-hidden "quartered circle" tack pattern, indicating an earlier decoration unrelated to the present one.

Normally, military drums remained in service for many years. New ones were issued to British regiments by the Board of Ordnance when needed as part of their official allotment supplied by the Crown. This drum breaks from the norm in that it was clearly "used" when acquired by the Royal Welsh Fusiliers and decorated for their use. Was it captured in combat and pressed into use by the Regiment as a living war trophy? Perhaps one day it will be possible to scientifically analyze a sample of the ash (wood) the drum shell is made from, and determine if its British, European, or American.

Regardless of where it was made, this Revolutionary War era side drum saw decades of service, and may have been played at Waterloo in 1815 amongst other battles of the Napoleonic Wars. As a cherished Regimental relic, it was seemingly incorporated into a "trophy of arms" once it was retired, perhaps in the home of an Officer of the Royal Welsh Fusiliers. The former point is evidenced by a square impression in one of the parchment heads, indicating something heavy rested on it for a considerable amount of time.
Exhibition(s)