Hidden Gems Of Connecticut

VERNON, CT — The latest Hidden Gem maintains the Connecticut Civil War theme of the previous Gem, but adds a different twist. Unlike the old powder keg from the Hazard Powder Company in Enfield that represented the sheer violence of the war, this week we turn to the music and a vintage drum that's part of a revised exhibit at the New England Civil War Museum and Research Center.

The museum is located in the second floor of the Vernon Town Hall in a fully preserved former Grand Army of the Republic Hall. The drum is on loan from the Buckingham Memorial Association.

The snare drum was manufactured by New York State's William Hall, who obtained his first military contract in 1861, museum archives tell us. He continued to supply the army with instruments throughout the war, according to the archives.

Musicians, according to the museum, were classified into two groups — field musicians and regimental musicians. Regimental bands would play outside battles to boost morale. Band members would often assist medics. Field musicians would play during battles to both communicate and boost morale.

The original carrier of the drum is unknown.

To see the drum, the powder keg and other Civil War artifacts with Connecticut connections, visit the museum. See the hours of operation here.
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The Hidden Gems series features out-of-the-way mom and pop restaurants, small specialty stores you may have never heard of, little-known historical markers or beautiful nature spots that may be a bit off the beaten path, all located within Connecticut. Other columns in this series for 2021 include:

• Civil War Powder Keg
• Mile 4, Manchester Road Race
• The West Hartford Armory
• The Capitol's Nooks and Crannies
• Wickham Park Aviary
• 55 West Main, New Britain
• Fox Hopyard Golf Course
• The Dodd Center For Human Rights at UConn
• Manchester Ropes Challenge Course
• 4-H Education Center at Auerfarm
• Fuego Picante Food Truck
• The Amistad
• 9/11 memorials
• Club Champion Golf Fitters
• New England Civil War Museum and Research Center
• Avery's Soda
• Salt 2.0 Restaurant
• The Grave of Jonathan, The Original Husky
• Golden Gavel Auction House
• Vintage Radio and Communications Museum of Connecticut
• The Cogswell Temperance Fountain
• The Old State House
• BouNom Bakery
• Union Pond Park/Jay Howroyd Fitness Trail
• The Submarine Force Museum/USS Nautilus
• The UConn Dairy Bar
• Grove Hill Cemetery, Vernon
• Backwoods Smokin' BBQ
• The Ranch House
• Connecticut State Police Museum
• Berlin Historic District
• Connecticut Parachutists Skydiving Club
• Tail Winds Ice Cream Shop
• The MLK Mural
• The Hilltop Restaurant and Bar
• Fork & Fire
• Lena's Italian Kitchen
• The Benedict Arnold Trail
• Swank Pearce
• Vernon Depot Historic Park
• Farr's Sporting Goods
• Robs Drivin Diner