Music Along the Rapidan

Davis, James A. Music Along the Rapidan: Civil War Soldiers, Music, and Community During Winter Quarters, Virginia. University of Nebraska Press, 2014.

This book starts with an overview of Civil War music and community. As he says in the Introduction, “. . . music was a particularly meaningful social process during the American Civil War and . . . the idea of community was central to Americans’ world-view at this time” (2). An interesting slant on the topic of music during the Civil War, “. . . not a study of musical communities per se but rather a study of socially and ideologically defined communities that are reaffirmed or contested through music” (3). This “. . . book focuses on a specific population in one location during a limited amount of time.”

1863-1864 is the time period. The place is the Piedmont region of central Virginia. The book relates how the two sides encamp for the winter near each other in this region, weary from fighting, wanting warmth, food, rest, spiritual renewal. But they were not idle, engaging in drills, worship, formal balls, informal bras band concerts, and other types of activities that the author hones in on as using music.

A splendid read with many primary sources used to animate the life stories that were lived for approximately 6 months stradling the two years above. The intersection of civilian and military communities is deftly portrayed by using the brass band as illustrator, catalyst, and exemplifier. Of brass band music he says, “No other form of music could negotiate so successfully between all the communities present, including the temporal communities (past and lived), occupational communities (soldier and civilian), and imagined politcal and religious communities (212)”.