Re: [Harp-L] US Civil War harmonica relic

[Winslow Yerxa <winslowyerxa@xxxxxxxxx>]

While the presence of Germans from Bad-Wurttemberg (what about from Klingenthal?) raises the possibility of harmonicas being present in the U.S. Civil War, production figures suggest that very few harmonica were actually made in Germany at that time, let alone exported to North America. When you compare production figures with the numbers of combatants, it becomes evident that harmonica players in that war were very few, and likely far between. (I've stated the numbers in previous posts; if you want to check them out, plow the archives).

Winslow


--- On Fri, 5/16/08, MANFRED WEWERS <mwewers@xxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> From: MANFRED WEWERS <mwewers@xxxxxxxxxx>
> Subject: [Harp-L] US Civil War harmonica relic
> To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
> Date: Friday, May 16, 2008, 6:46 AM
> I spent more than 10 years (1986-1998) as a Civil War
> re-enactor (10th Louisiana, Co. C),  played harmonica
> during that time and was fortunate enough to participate on
> a CD of period music.  At events, some numbering over 20,000
> re-enators, there was always lots of music and a lot of
> harmonica players.
>    
>   I have only found one reference in my search for the
> Civil War harmonica.  Francis Lord's "Civil War
> Collector's Encyclopedia" (v.3, p.83), lists a
> harmonica dug near Fredericksburg at a site of 7th Indiana
> Infantry encampment.  Sounds like the real thing?
>    
>   Consider the following:
>    
>   1) The largest non-American born ethnic group in the war
> was German,
>   2) More than 5 million left Germany for the US between
> 1841 and 1913,
>   3) Of these, 200,000 left Baden and Wuertenburg between
> 1850 and 1855,
>   4) By the mid 1800's, some American music allegiance
> shifted from British to German,
>   5) More than 50,000 "Canadians" participated in
> the war; many were Germans and after  
>       all, Hohner sent it's first harmonicas to Canada
> (nach Kanada) in 1857, 
>   6) "Sutlers", the travelling general stores
> during the war, sold everything-why not small, 
>       portable, inexpensive harmonicas?
>    
>   Based on the above, there must be more to the Civil War
> harmonica story.  We just have to keep looking.
>    
>   The GW Stratton & Co.'s (Boston) 1883 Catalogue
> of musical instruments, lists Richter 10 hole harmonicas at
> $2.50 per dozen.
>    
>   Manfred Wewers
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