During the Revolutionary War, it was common for each company of men to include two boys between the ages of 10 and 18 who wore colors in the reverse of the soldiers, and whose duties were to play the fife and the drum.  

Whether in camp, on the march, or in battle, these boys played a vital role in the military.

In battle, for example, absent the ability to communicate that modern technology has provided, fifes and drums were used to relay commands over long distances, bringing a necessary cohesion to any battle plan.

It is believed that the practice of utilizing the high pitch of the fife and the low pitch of the drum to communicate on the battlefield began with the Swiss army as far back as the 1300s. The military musicians played a crucial role in every American war through the end of the 19th century, and the roles of several musicians in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars have been well-documented.

Re-enactors know this, and every site that recreates the colonial era during warfare, whether they depict the French & Indian War, the Revolutionary War, or the War of 1812, aspires to add to the realism of their narration by featuring fifes and drums. For various reasons, few sites are able to pull it off these days.

At Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, the Fife & Drum Corps has been a regular part of the historical narrative since 1958. The venue’s website explains that while they have made “a concession to modern times” by admitting girls as well as boys to their fife and drum contingent these days, in all other regards they strive for authenticity and accuracy in their portrayal.

“Listening to the Fifes and Drums is one of the few experiences that time cannot alter,” the Colonial Williamsburg website maintains. “The frequencies – both high and low – have the power to send a shiver down the spine and an echo through the core as we witness this slice of our military and musical heritage.”

Fort Delaware Museum of Colonial History in Narrowsburg has never had a fife and drum corps, at least not that anyone can recall, but now the coalescing of factors has created the impetus for forming such a group.

The rapidly approaching semiquincentennial celebration of the Revolutionary War and the various roles several of the settlers of the Cushetunk settlement—the crux of the Fort Delaware narrative—played in the conflict is one such factor.

But the main impetus behind the move to create a fife and drum unit at Fort Delaware has been the venue’s most loyal volunteer over the past two years, 12-year-old Ian Pammer of Bethel, known throughout the Fort as Master Ian.

The young man has single handedly undertaken the process, beating the drum during musket demonstrations and recruiting a friend to learn the fife to accompany him.

It is just one of the many valuable contributions Master Ian makes at the Fort, but it was the one that caught the eye—or should it be the ear—of Debra Conway, the Executive Director of The Delaware Company, the non-profit history education group that operates the Fort under contract with Sullivan County.

Inspired by Master Ian’s enthusiasm and ability, Debra quickly began the process of recruiting men and women of all ages to form the Fort Delaware Fife & Drum Corps in time to participate in the Rev War 250 celebrations over the next few years.

Those who are interested in hearing more about the Corps, or who want to participate, can find information on The Delaware Company’s Facebook page, or their website, thedelawarecompany.org.

Meanwhile, Debra is not the only one who recognized the contributions that Master Ian makes to the operation of Fort Delaware, showing up regularly to volunteer, manning various roles wherever needed, and generally raising the quality of the narration by keeping the other docents on their toes through his burgeoning knowledge of history and his unparalleled passion for it.

The Upper Delaware Council has taken notice of his dedication to history and to the Fort, and at their annual awards dinner on Sunday, September 22 at the Central House resort in Beach Lake, PA, Ian Pammer will be among the honorees, receiving a well-deserved special recognition award for his “exceptional volunteerism, presentation abilities, and ‘revolutionary initiatives.’”

Unquestionably, this will not be the last honor that Master Ian receives.

Ian is the son of Dr. and Mrs. William Pammer of Bethel. He attends school at Sullivan West.

John Conway is the Sullivan County Historian and a founder and president of The Delaware Company. Email him at jconway52@hotmail.com.