Signaling Devices

Fife and Drum Corps are perhaps the most diverse of the regimental field music genres when it comes to signaling apparatus.  About half of the fife and drum corps listed in the Company of Fifes and Drums have a drum major.  About half of those drum majors use a mace.  A third of the drum majors use the espontoon.  Drum majors using an espontoon are typically in corps uniformed in American Revolutionary War era military dress.  The remaining drum majors use a military signal baton.  Drum majors using a military signal baton are typically in corps uniformed in American Civil War era military dress.  There are one or two corps where the drum major has adopted the contemporary Drum and Bugle Corps (field conductor) style.

Drum-Major John C. Moon has granted us permission to post his Drum Major's Staff Manual.  Aside from being the youngest Drum-Major in the history of the Scots Guards, Drum-Major Moon was also the Senior Drum-Major for the Edinburgh Tattoo and also of the British Army.  Drum-Major Moon went on to bring the Fifes & Drums of Colonial Williamsburg into National prominence. 

The Espontoon

Drum-Major Bob DuFour of the Kentish Guards sent along what turned out to be a copy of the original espontoon manual of the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps (U.S. Army, 3d Infantry).  The copy was in need of restoration which was done by the RDMA in consultation with D/M DuFour.  A restored copy was then sent to the Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps.  The Old Guard Drum Majors reviewed this manual to ensure its accuracy.  The Old Guard subsequently granted the RDMA permission to post the manual.  Receipt and review of this believed lost original manual has prompted the Old Guard to begin the development of a new manual.

The Military Signal Baton

[Under construction]