Fife from Appomattox Surrender?

[Claude Bauer]

Since today's the anniversary of Lee's surrender at Appomattox, here's a picture of a fife that was said to have been broken in half by a dejected Confederate soldier, presumably a musician, upon hearing news of the surrender. I have no idea if it's true or a family legend. You'd have to be seriously strong or have some kind of mechanical assistance to break a fife like that--they are not delicate instruments.

Also, here's a fife with an interesting wood mouthpiece and some kind of wrapping on part of it, possibly for repair. This one was taken from a Confederate, possibly a dead one. The paper with it partially reads, "This fife was picked up in the Rebels breast [pocket?] …" the word "Battle" is also visible.

 

[Pete Longstreet]

I've never heard that story, interesting. Is that a fife in your profile picture?

 

[Lampasas Bill]

Looks to me like it says "...picked up in the Rebel breast-works after the Battle.....burg by..." Could be any "burg" where there was a battle against entrenched Rebels.

 

[Claude Bauer]

I've never heard that story, interesting. Is that a fife in your profile picture?

Yes, that's a fife--I have a bunch of them, and I sell fife mouthpieces made by 3D printing.

The picture was taken at the 150th anniversary commemoration of the Battle of Ft. Stevens in Washington, DC. (My wife from Toronto, Canada had an ancestor who came to the US and joined the Union army--he wound up fighting at Ft. Stevens. Small world.)