Signal Whistles??

[1stSgt45PVI]

Here is a question that I have been pondering for quite some time. I know that several militia units before and militia/NG units after the war used "Whistle Calls" similar to that of the British Light Infantry Regts. Was this carried over into active service or were they "re-trained" for the use of drum and bugle? :confused:

I own a fine brass and a silver light infantry whistle of the period and pondered carrying it.
I can only find my post war example presently:
http://books.google.com/books?id=dZoSAAAAYAAJ&lpg=PA135&ots=iPmq3PI12A&dq=militia%20whistle%20calls&pg=PA135#v=onepage&q=militia%20whistle%20calls&f=false

I am sorry, can't find my "pre-war" example @ this time other than those our British counterparts in the Crimea and Indian Mutanies and after.

I can understand the use and want of the whistle, as the voicing of commands while skirmishing can be hard on the vocals or to hear (been there done that), again just wondering if it was actaully done.

Thanks in advance for the help!

Best regards,
Zak

[Jubilo]

Dear Sir,

I read once that a unit of the First Missouri Confederate Brigade skirmished by the whistle. It was probably refered to in Phillip Thomas Tucker's book on that unit.
all for the old flag,
David Corbett

[Spinster]

Likely the best versed reenactor on this subject matter is Frank Aufmuth, who commands troops by whistle in the Trans-Mississippi, and lives in, you guessed it, Missouri.

You can get contact information for him here:
http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/member.php?733-Campjacksonboy

And I must say, his signature line tells it all: When you hear my whistle, **** will be upon you.

[1stSgt45PVI]

Thank you eveyone for the info, I will be sure to contact him an see what he's got! Glad to hear that it was used somewhere and I wasn't crazy!:D

Thanks,
Zak

[Backus]

I would be interested in knowing this as well. I know that the American Corp of Light Infantry in the American Revolution moved by whistle, as well as Wayne's Legion in the 1790's. I have only found references for that period. Like I said, I would be really interested in knowing if this practice was in use during the Civil War as well.

[huntdaw]

But, the Missouri Brigade was considered an exception to the norm since they used the whistle. That is evident by it being noted in sources.

Just because you have a whistle doesn't mean you should carry it and use it in the field unless you are portraying a unit documented to using the whistle.

Plus, we have no idea what whistle 'calls' were used by Cockrell's boys or even what kind of whistle was used. The times we have used them, Frank basically came up with a simple whistle pattern that we could use for a limited number of maneuvers.

[Silas]

But, the Missouri Brigade was considered an exception to the norm since they used the whistle. That is evident by it being noted in sources.

The Missouri Brigade was an exception to the norm in many ways. It's hard not appreciate the first and second brigades.


Plus, we have no idea what whistle 'calls' were used by Cockrell's boys or even what kind of whistle was used. The times we have used them, Frank basically came up with a simple whistle pattern that we could use for a limited number of maneuvers.

Even the whistle calls in that scanned book were made up by the commander of that unit. I had seen that book previously when doing a search of online sources for whistle calls. I'd really like to see a period source for calls used during the war. The whistle is an effective method of issuing simple commands when the voice is ineffective.

Before RJ jumps in about the merits of the bugle, I will concede that bugles are a superior method of conveying commands. Unfortunately, there not enough quality buglers to go around. Plus, not every officer has the opportunity to learn how to play the instrument.

[RJSamp]

1. I have the whistle signals for American light infantry if anyone wants them.

2. Plenty of buglers available Silas, way too many units and officers with egos...
Start with a regiment of 350 rifles with a full bird Colonel, mounted, and 1 bugler. Anything less is a sham. 44 man brigades, 60 rifle regiments, and I just heard a rumor about Bentonville...2 Federal Divisions with 2 or 3 regiments of troops TOTAL.

You can scale rank and units, you can't fractionalize bugle(r)s.

[kenyon]

Back in the early 1990's. I was hunting a Confederate Trench in Kennesew, Georgia. Right behind the trench, I found a pewter signal whistle. It was about two to three inches long. A slightly tappered tube. Really thin. It had a notch cut out of it where the sound was produced.
I was able to clean it out, and it still worked. It gave a real high pitched sound. I do not have it now. I traded it to a friend. A photo of one is in one of the CW relic books. I think one is in Cotch's book of dug relics.
I have been also doing research on the American Revolution. I got a copy of the New York Volunteers, Loyalist unit, when they came to Charleston in 1780
The officer, while on the ship, came up with a whole set of sigal Whistle commands and wrote them in the journal.
If anyone is interested, I will see if I can find the journal and copy the commands for you.
Yours,
Ken Myers

[plankmaker]

I'll take the signals sent by a steam locomotive whistle over those of a (deleted) bugler (deleted) any day. They did do it and the locomotives signalling each other and the station did change several battles out this way (Wytheville for one). It was fairly common practice for them to communicate in this manner. Over fairly long distances.

Mark Campbell
Piney Flats, TN

The Daily Dispatch: May 28, 1861.

Richmond Dispatch.

Experiments in locomotive Telegraphing.
--Our citizens were surprised about 8 o'clock last night, to hear an almost continuous blowing of whistles at the South Carolina and Georgia Railroad depots. Upon enquiry we found that some of the young men connected with the telegraph office, were experimenting with the telegraphic signals by the locomotive whistles. The experiments were entirely satisfactory. --Augusta Constitutionalist.

[1stSgt45PVI]

Per a conversation I've had w/ Frank over @ the AC, I hope he doesn't mind...
"It is a fact that the 1st Missouri brigade CSA was using whistle calls interchangably with bugle calls around the time of Corinth and were apparenly used in the pre-civil war days of the old militia in St. Louis. The only problem is that the Missourians had high mortality rates and the calls seem to have died with them. With all my research and searching I have only found a few simple calls on two different websites.

To wit there is a website showing bugle calls the British Army was using aound 1804 at: http://ccv.northwestcompany.com/signals.html

I also found mention of them being used around the Span am period but they only gave the signal for halt (two blasts) and forward (one). I found it by doing a boolian search on the Cornell University site

Some of the little research we have done has uncovered the use of whistles which seemed to have had the cork balls in them like modern whistles. It's been awhile but there was one ID'd to a New Hampshire unit that actually had two cork thingy's in it. I believe some of them were also made of pewter. Of couse not all of them had cork balls and the one's without seem to be more accepted by those in the reenacting community who think the 1860's were the stone age.
Actually in the past when I have used whistle calls I have had to improvise and even then they are simple. The men know the order of the commands I will give and know exactly what to do with some rehearsal. This is not perfect since I have been unable to find the historic whistle calls that I want to use but I have been able to find just enough to get the point across for demonstration purposes. Unlike a bugle its hard to lose the mouth piece and when in command of a battalion it makes halting or ordering a battalion forward much easier than running back and telling them to do so...or having to yell.

By the way that line on the AC goes back to Banks Grand Retreat a few years ago. We were able to use some calls with considerable success on our one week campaign

Good luck and sorry I can't be of more help.
Frank "

Also I am working on contacting a few Napoleonic reenacting friends who portray Rifles, they are a great wealth of knowlege of the Rifle Regts and L.I. as well as The Green Jacket Museum in England. If there is any information on whistle calls used in the Crimean War and Indian Mutiny by the Rifles and L.I., they would have it. Granted it would be British not American, but @ least a starting point for possible calls used.

[Jim Mayo]

Numerous white metal whistles have been found in CW sites. Some still had the little wooden ball inside the whistle. It's one of those things I always wanted to find and didn't. The ones I have seen also had a hole in one end for carrying on a string.

[old reb46]

Aufmuth's whistle, bugle and bugle mouth piece have been buried in a undisclosed location in Missouri.

[Phil]

Isn't there another mouthpiece around South Mansfield somewhere?

[1stSgt45PVI]

I was able to obtain the whistle calls used by the British Military (L.I. and Rifles) up through the Crimea War. I am not musically inclined and cannot read the notes, but it looks pretty basic.

http://i936.photobucket.com/albums/ad203/zdagen/whistlecalls.jpg[/IMG]

Hope it helps, I know it's a little late!

Cheers!
Sarge