Moses and William Roe were father and son who enlisted to fight for the North side of our Civil War. I think it was a bit unusual for a father and son to enlist to fight in that war, but I am sure that many others did so. They signed up with about 1000 others to form their regiment and at the close of the war, 100 returned including both Moses and William. Those were not good odds, but probably this was not in their minds when they signed up. It is my belief that one or both were musically inclined, playing the drum and possibly a fife. Howard Roe inherited the drum, but I do not know what became of it in later years. I believe they marched with General Sherman on his march through Georgia to the sea, living off the land and wrecking havoc to that part of the South. Somehow in my mind, I can see one of these men playing his fife or his drum and helping lead the men of the regiment onwards for their daily progress.
In later years I became interested in what happened to the drum and fife but could find out nothing. Then I decided it would be fun to acquire a Civil War drum and fife, and found the fife in North Carolina and the drum in Washington State. It makes me wonder how a Civil War drum got all the way to the northwest part of the country. Was it used in Indian wars after the Civil War? I will probably never know, but did enjoy the hunt and being able to care for these instruments to this day.
Moses was William's father. William had three wives and two children by each. In his last set was my grandfather Bernard. Thus, I feel connected in another way to this great conflict called the Civil War.
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