16103 Washington’s Bodyguard Drummer

As Inspector General of the Continental Army, Baron Friedrich Von Steuben standardized the commands of the military’s fife and drum signal calls. But what was not standardized was the decoration of the drum. Unlike the Federal Eagle device that would adorn the military instrument some years later, there was no accepted national emblem for the drum’s shell. A favored design was one of a star field of 13 stars on a deep blue field – sometimes placed haphazardly, but more often arranged in a circle as seen here. Even the star design itself was not standard, eight pointed ones were common with the six pointed “German design” being favored over the five point “Mullet” or English type.