RE: [Harp-L] civil war harps

["Thomas McGovern" <tmcg@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Many years ago, while traveling, I purchased a small collection of Civil War
battlefield relics, including bullets, uniform buttons and a harmonica reed
plate.  The seller, at a flea market, claimed had collected the relics
himself by combing through various battle sites. I'm not sure at which
battlefield he said he found it.  The reed plate is somewhat beaten up, but
is brass colored, and looks pretty darned similar to those we see today.
I'll be at the Buckeye in April, and would be glad to bring the collection
if anyone interested in seeing it. 

Tom McGovern
Richmond, MI 

-----Original Message-----
From: harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx [mailto:harp-l-bounces@xxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf
Of Garry Hodgson
Sent: Friday, February 23, 2007 10:25 AM
To: harp-l@xxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [Harp-L] civil war harps

David Coulson <ndavid.coulson@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:

> In Winslow's  response to Iceman's posting he states that the popular  
> image of harmonica playing in the Civil War was the creation of  
> Hollywood screen writers, and that harmonica production was too low  
> until the 1870s or 1880s for the instrument to have been widespread.  
> However, in the Alan Bates collection site he links to in the same  
> response, it says this: "First imported in quantity in the early  
> 1860s, they (harmonicas) became popular with soldiers from both north  
> and south.  Many harmonica remains have been found around Civil War  
> camp sites."
> So which is correct?

i don't know how widespread they were.  but i have seen a harmonica from
that time in the battlefield museum at gettysburg.  i believe it was found
at
the battle site.

----
Garry Hodgson, Senior Software Geek, AT&T CSO

But I'm not giving in an inch to fear
'Cause I promised myself this year
I feel like I owe it...to someone.

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