Until I saw the movie I always thought that the bugler had one of the safest jobs in the platoon. After all who would shoot a bugler? However during the charge for the last battle the bugler got shot first. I guess bugle boys just don't get the respect I thought they might get!
shareThere were two buglers or trumpeters per company and a regimental chief bugler or chief trumpeter. Usually the bugler positions were about 75 percent filled, I guess.
So if the entire regiment was present at the battle (probably references to the regiment were an exaggeration) and all the bugler positions were filled, that would make 25 men or boys. There seemed to be at least four companies in the battle, so there should have been about seven to nine buglers in all,not just one. They all should have blown the charge, though perhaps not as long as the one in the movie did, since there wasn't much point in continuing once everyone started charging.
Remember, they didn't have radios to communicate back then. Whatever orders the commander gave was communicated through the bugler. Kill the bugler and you greatly hinder the communication.
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