 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
The Worcestershire Soldier
- Room 2 - The Black Drummer
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
| How to Find Us |
| Home Page |
 |
 |
The Black DrummerIn 1759 ten slaves captured from the French were presented to the 29th (Worcestershire) Regiment of Foot for use as drummers, and started a tradition which would last nearly a century. Over the next 84 years nearly 50 black men were actively recruited to serve as drummers in the 29th. Each man was a volunteer, and many served for 20 or more years, receiving equal pay, pensions, medals and status as any other soldier. Some sons followed fathers, and fresh recruits joined from Canada, Ireland, the West Indies and India . Even though the black drummers sometimes made the 29th unpopular (as floggings were carried out by drummers recruits were sometimes deterred by the thought of being flogged by a black man, and the citizens of Boston even wrote to the commanding officer about it), they remained an important and proud part of the Regiment until the last drummer died in 1843. |
|
|
