Civil war period harmonicas

[Glenn Weiser <glennw@xxxxxxxxxx>]

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Gang

I recieved this query from a Civil War reenacator. As you may know, many 
of these folks are most meticulous with regard to detail. Can anyone 
here answer his questions?


- -Glenn Weiser

> Glen
>  
> I have been playing the harmonica for a few years and have your fiddle 
> tune book.  Recently I moved to Virginia and have several friends into 
> Civil War re-enacting.  I am also kind of into the history of this 
> instrument.  I see numerous references to the harmonica during the 
> Civil War and references to reed plates etc being found at Civil War 
> sites.  Clearly for the grunt on the line this was the 19th century 
> version of the transistor radio or CD player for personal 
> entertainment.  This is different than say a fiddle or banjo that was 
> more a group instrument. 
>  
> This seems to be a fuzzy period for the harmonica.  While reed plates 
> have been found I don't see much reference to the covers or where they 
> came from.  Were these in bags of the immigrants from Ireland and 
> Germany etc?  There is some speculation that they were actually 
> issued.  Also a re-enactor is interested in the type adn 
> authenticity.  Where these diatonic Richter tuned etc?  Also this is 
> the fuzzy Hohner period.  The Civil War is tied to the industrial 
> revolution and Hohner certainly is part of this.  What he did was 
> quality mass production.  This he got going from 1857 to 1865.  I have 
> the book "Made in German - Played in USA" and this period was glossed 
> over.  Would you find a Hohner in a Civil War camp?  Or was it the 
> popularity during the Civil War that helped Hohner's sales take off.  
> Of course then there is the idea of what the average grunt private 
> played to pass time in the military hurry up and wait mode. 
>  
> It's almost like this is a mysterious birth matrix of the popularity 
> of the harmonica.  This period is always mentioned but talked around 
> in references to harmonica history. 
>  
> Sincerely,
>  
> Fred K. Johnson
> Fred Johnson <fred.johnson@xxxxxxxxxxxx>