The bass drum belonged to the regimental band. Federal infantry regiments raised in 1861 were authorized a sixteen-piece regimental band — brass, woodwinds, snare and bass drums — separate from the company-level drummers and fifers who handled the field calls. The bands played for dress parades, for morale on the march, for hospital visits, and for funerals. The Federal War Department reduced authorized band strength in 1862 to save money, and by 1863 most regimental bands had been disbanded or consolidated into brigade-level music. The bass drummer in this figure represents what survived of the regimental music tradition — heavy, deep, audible across a long column on the march.

This W. Britain figure depicts a Federal regimental bandsman with the bass drum — the deeper of the two regulation drum types, slung across the body on a wide leather sling. He wears the regulation Federal infantry frock coat in dark blue, light blue trousers, the dark forage cap, and the NCO sword at his left hip (musicians typically carried short swords as personal sidearms). The drum is the standard Civil War Federal pattern: roughly twenty-eight inches in diameter, painted in red and white with rope tension lacing. The figure works as the audible centerpiece of any marching column or regimental band diorama. Pair this figure with 146th NY Zouave Drummer for a side-drum companion; with Irish Brigade Drummer for the brigade-music ensemble; or with Union Forever Marching Set for a complete marching column with band accompaniment.

Scale: 1/30 (60mm). Matte-painted metal. W. Britain model 31205. From the American Civil War range. Single foot figure, supplied painted and ready for display.