This over the shoulder tenor saxhorn was played by Samuel Burg of the 37th Illinois Infantry Regimental Band. The horn is brass with 3 valves and 4 sliding tuners; on the bell is evidence of an old repair. String is wrapped around two of the tuners, while the mouth piece is broken and held together with a thimble of brass/copper tubing. When assembled, the horn is four feet, six inches long. The original wood case has Samuel Burg’s name and regiment stenciled on the outside.
Samuel Burg was a resident of Cook County, Illinois. He joined the 37th Illinois Infantry Regiment on August 15, 1861, and was mustered into service on September 18, 1861 with the rank of musician. He died in 1863.
Regimental bands played an important role in the Union army in boosting soldier morale. As the 37th Illinois crossed the Missouri-Arkansas border in February 1862, for instance, the regimental band struck up the tunes “Out of the Wilderness” and “Arkansas Traveler,” much to the delight of the invading Union Army of the Southwest.
Image Courtesy Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield; WICR 11956
