Music and Gallantry in Combat During the American Civil War

Two iconic aspects of the American Civil War, courage and music, joined together on the battlefield in ways both obvious and subtle. The author links the two in this article, which frames music as an essential "sound of battle" that boosted troops' confidence and courage. The author also explores the concept of gallantry, which he defines as not only a way of being but also a way of appearing, one that shaped nineteenth-century American perceptions of warfare and civilized behavior in general.