F.E. Pierce Post #455

This photo is a reunion of the F.E. Pierce Post # 455 G.A.R. Drum Corps and Escort Company H, 1st Infantry of Rochester, N.Y.  It was taken at the 49th National Encampment of the Grand Army of the Republic in Washington, D.C. on September 29, 1915.  It commemorated the Grand Review Reunion of May 23rd, 1865 of 50 years earlier depicting actual Civil War Veterans on the right and Sons of Civil War Veterans on the Left. 

Written on the bass drum is the inscription “F.E. Pierce Post # 455 Drum Corps of the G.A.R., Grand Army of the Republic, Rochester, New York thusly depicting the first known drum corps in the Rochester area.  Etched on the lower center is “Escort Company H, 1st Infantry Sons of Veterans Reserve.” There are Thirteen Sons of Veterans who escorted the Civil War Veterans on the Right.  Also are the names of the Commander I.H. Chatfield, First Assistant J.B. Williams, and Second Assistant W.G. Ricker.

Therein, this photo taken by W. Brehm was from 108 years ago. 

The members behind the drums represented the Drum Corps portion of this formation and were in military-music-style uniforms.  Those uniforms were different from the rest of the overall formation in that all were in standard Union Army dress uniforms of the era.  Two infantrymen in front have a small American flag in their right hand and in the background is a marque of the Wintergarden Theater.

Several men are decorated with two or three campaign medals and all appear to be in this proud unit of great military bearing paying much attention to detail. These drum corps members and infantrymen are likely in the age range of the mid-seventies, therein, actual Rochester, N.Y.-based Union soldiers of the Civil War.    

I bought this photo at an antique sale for $165.00 and have it on display in my home!

[Bill McGrath March, 2023]

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