{"id":30951,"date":"2018-05-02T10:18:27","date_gmt":"2018-05-02T14:18:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=30951"},"modified":"2018-05-02T10:18:49","modified_gmt":"2018-05-02T14:18:49","slug":"morgan-brewster-was-a-fifer-in-the-revolutionary-war","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/morgan-brewster-was-a-fifer-in-the-revolutionary-war.html","title":{"rendered":"Morgan Brewster Was a Fifer in the Revolutionary War"},"content":{"rendered":"

I recently wrote about a drummer in the Revolutionary War<\/a> \u2013 and today I am writing about a fifer.<\/p>\n

An 1856 edition of the Maine Farmer<\/em> remembered Morgan Brewster<\/a> (1762-1856), a Revolutionary War veteran who died at age 93.<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Source: GenealogyBank, Maine Farmer (Augusta, Maine), 13 March 1856, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Fascinatingly, this article notes that Morgan enlisted as a fifer at the young age of 16:<\/p>\n

\u201cThe few surviving heroes of that eventful period, the Revolution, are fast dropping off, and passing away. We are called upon this week to notice the death of Mr. Morgan Brewster, of Leeds, who died on the 13th ult., aged 93 years, 5 mos., and 19 days. Mr. B. was born in Rome, N.Y. He was a soldier in the Revolution, enlisting as a fifer, when he was but 16 years of age, and faithfully serving his time.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

I wanted to know more about the role of fifers in the military, so I ran a quick internet search.<\/p>\n

\"Illustration:<\/a>
Illustration: originally entitled \u201cYankee Doodle,\u201d this is one of several versions of a scene painted by Archibald MacNeal Willard in the late nineteenth century that came to be known as \u201cThe Spirit of ’76.\u201d Source: Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Wikipedia<\/a> gave me the following information:<\/p>\n

\u201cA fifer is a non-combatant military occupation of a foot soldier who originally played the fife during combat. The practice was instituted during the period of Early Modern warfare to sound signals during changes in formation, such as the line, and were also members of the regiment\u2019s military band during marches.<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cThese soldiers\u2026 were used to help infantry battalions to keep marching pace from the right of the formation in coordination with the drummers positioned at the centre, and relayed orders in the form of sequences of musical signals. The fife was particularly useful because of its high pitched sound, which could be heard over the sounds of battle.\u201d<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

The Maine Farmer<\/em> article also mentioned that after completing his military service, Morgan married in March 1785 [to Martha Stetson<\/a> (1760-1838)], and moved to Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine, where he lived the remaining 68 years of his life.<\/p>\n

Morgan died and was buried in Leeds, Maine.<\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: gravestone of Morgan Brewster, Additon Cemetery, Leeds, Androscoggin County, Maine. Source: Find a Grave.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Mayflower passenger William Brewster is Morgan\u2019s 4th great-grandfather.<\/p>\n

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