W. L. Hobbs and his “Americus Quick Step”

W. L. Hobbs and his
“Americus Quick Step”

By Richard Birkemeier

The night before the modern Americus Brass Band began recording our Civil War CD for Summit Records in 1991, well-known Civil War historian, musician, and friend of the band Mark Elrod, called to inform me that he had recently discovered a Civil War era march entitled “Americus Quick Step.” It was written by an unknown composer by the name of W. L. Hobbs and both Mark and I thought the piece might have actually been composed for the original Americus Brass Band from Americus GA. I asked Mark to send the music via over-night mail so that the band could record it for the CD. Mark did, and the band did, and the march turned out to be a favorite with audiences when it was interpolated into our new Columbia Artists touring show, Honor and Glory: Civil War Memories. The band has continued to perform the “Americus Quick Step” ever since, assuming it was indeed a Civil War march written for the original Americus Brass Band.

Well it turns out we may have been mistaken on many levels, and the actual story behind the march and its composer is more complicated than we thought. We now know there are in fact, two possible explanations concerning the origins of the piece and both I think, are quite interesting. In addition, they offer important insights into the history of 19th century brass bands in general – so I hope you’ll keep on reading.

First, a bit about the origins of the name “Americus.” The Encyclopedia Britannica states that “Americus” is Latin for Amerigo, as in Amerigo Vespucci (1454 – 1512), the early Italian explorer and navigator. His voyage of 1501–02 to what is now South America was of fundamental importance to history in that Vespucci became convinced that his newly discovered lands were not part of Asia, but a “New World.” And in 1507 Martin Waldseemüller … suggested that this newly discovered “world” be named “ab Americo Inventore…quasi Americi terram sive Americam” (“from Amerigo the discoverer…as if it were the land of Americus or America”).¹ And it seems probable that the town of Americus, GA, from whence the band derives its name, was named after him when it was founded in 1832.² But now the story moves to New York City in 1848 and focuses on the Americus Engine Company No. 6, volunteer fire department. Who decided to name a fire engine “Americus”? Who indeed! But first, the back-story.

Engine Company 6 traces its roots to 1756 when it was organized as a bucket brigade on Crown St, now known as Liberty St. After several reorganizations, relocations, nicknames, and a bitter rivalry with Engine Company 1, Engine 6 was disbanded in 1846. But the company was reorganized in 1848 and named “Americus” when the firemen elected William “Boss” Tweed of future Tammany Hall fame as their first foreman. An aside: Engine Company 6 is now located at 49 Beekman Street and because of its close proximity to the World Trade Center, the engine was a first responder on September 11. The collapse of the North Tower destroyed the pumper and killed four of the five firefighters.³

So, who was “Boss” Tweed, and why do we care? William Maeger Tweed (1823–1878), was the notorious nineteenth century New York City politician of Tammany Hall fame. As he was rising in power and wealth in 1860, he built what he called the Americus Club in Greenwich, CN as a private retreat for his ultra rich NY cronies. The club ultimately featured a building that stood six stories high, with a mansard roof, turrets and sweeping porches that overlooked the Long Island Sound. The club could accommodate five hundred guests and all summer long it teemed with New York politicians and businessmen – all affiliated with “Boss” Tweed’s ring. And it seems likely that Tweed chose the name for the club from his old Americus Engine Company No. 6.⁴

William “Boss” Tweed and the Americus Club.

So where is the musical connection? New York City’s very famous 7th Regiment Band lead by Claudio S. Grafulla often provided music for Tammany functions and for the private affairs at Tweed’s Americus Club and it seems likely that the “Americus Quick Step” might have been commissioned by the Americus Club and performed by this group.⁵ Historian Frederick A. Hubbard adds that Claudius [sic] S. Grafulla was a member of the Americus Club so the connection seems likely.⁶ On the other hand, the march could have been performed by another famous band of the era. Don Mead wrote in his essay, ”The Life and Times of “Muldoon, the Solid Man,” that the Dodworth Band was the “Boss’s” favorite: “Tweed would have nothing else.”⁷ And this makes sense as Dodworth’s Brass Band was arguably the most popular band in New York City at that time. And to make things even more confusing, it turns out there are not just one, but actually TWO marches titled “Americus Quick Step”! The question now arises as to which of these was the one recorded by the modern Americus Brass band?

The first composition was entitled “Americus Quick Step: dedicated to the officers and members of the Americus Club of New York. Played by Grafulla’s 7th. Regt. Band” and it was composed in 1863. Now THAT sounds like what we’re looking for: the title is correct, the date coincides with the Civil War and all we need to do is add W. L. Hobbs as the composer and the story is complete. Unfortunately, the piece was NOT composed by Hobbs but rather by Francis H. Brown (1818 – 1891) and an inspection of the original piano sheet music reveals that this is definitely NOT the piece recorded by the Americus Brass Band.

So, we’re right back where we started. The “Americus Quick Step” recorded by the Americus Brass Band and composed by W. L. Hobbs was published after the Civil War in 1872 and there is no dedication to help identify who might have commissioned it and why. And to further “muddy the waters,” almost nothing is known of the life of William L. Hobbs (1830 – 1874?). We’re not even sure about his dates! His birth date has been calculated based on a curious announcement of his death at age forty-four that appears in a Philadelphia newspaper in 1874.⁸ The problem is that there are several newspaper articles after that date that seem to imply that he was still very much alive for many more years.

A search of old newspaper archives indicates that William Hobbs was an active professional musician in New England, New York City and Philadelphia during the mid- 19th century. He first appears in the Worcester, MA Daily Spy newspaper in 1855 in a notice announcing his residency at the Loring Brothers Music Store, offering his services as a composer, music teacher, performer on the clarinet and skills as a band director.⁹ There are several later announcements in the Spy of his activities in Worcester in the 1850s. They include work with several local Quadrille bands and one stating that he was leader of the Worcester Cornet Band.¹⁰ By November of 1857, the Spy reports that Hobbs had joined Issac Fiske’s new brass band and was collaborating with leader and solo cornetist, Matthew Arbuckle, forming their own Quadrille orchestra.¹¹ Matthew Arbuckle would go on to great fame as a cornet soloist with Gilmore’s Band. Interestingly, one article from late 1857 describes a concert of the Fiske Band, directed by Arbuckle, that featured Hobbs as clarinet soloist. The concert was held as a “benefit” for Hobbs for reasons unknown, but it demonstrates that he was clearly a respected member of the Worcester musical establishment at this time.¹²

Hobbs’ greatest fame however came c.1860 when he moved to New York City and joined the newly-formed Bryant’s Minstrel troupe. As a member of Bryant’s Minstrels he performed on-stage (possibly as conductor of the band), composed music for the show, and made piano arrangements of several minstrel songs by his associate, Daniel D. Emmett. Best known today is Dan Emmett’s “Dixie’s Land” which Hobbs arranged for piano in 1860 and published through Firth, Pond & Co. in New York City and New Orleans. In addition to arranging “Dixie,” Hobbs is remembered today for composing one other song for Bryant’s Minstrels, “Whack Row De Dow.”¹³

W. L. Hobbs’ name is found on many playbills and announcements for Bryant’s Minstrels, indicating that he remained with the troupe for several years, but in 1865 he seems to have moved on. That year he appears at Philadelphia’s Eleventh Street Opera House where he is identified as a featured clarinet soloist. But the Eleventh Street Opera House was also the home of the popular Carncross and Dixey’s Minstrels and by 1866 Hobbs is listed as a member of that popular Philadelphia based troupe.¹⁴ It is possible that Hobbs was also the resident orchestra leader at the Opera House, because in 1867 the Dispatch lists Hobbs as director of the orchestra for the “Grand Ballet Divertissement” at the Academy of Music.¹⁵

At some point around 1870, J. L. Carncross turned the troupe over to Francis Moran and the company, renamed Moran and Dixey’s Minstrels, continued to occupy the Eleventh Street location with Hobbs as a member.¹⁶ Then Moran’s and Hobbs’ names appear together in a Chicago Daily Tribune article in 1873 describing a performance of Moran & Manning’s Minstrels (probably the same Philadelphia-based troupe mentioned above) at Myer’s Opera House in Chicago. Hobbs is mentioned as both the composer of the show’s overture and the conductor of the orchestra.¹⁷

It was just a year later, and with no explanation whatsoever, that the Philadelphia Sunday Dispatch announced that “William L. Hobbs, a professional musician, for some time attached to the minstrel profession,” had died on July 12, 1874 at age forty-four.¹⁸ Or did he?

I have discovered two later references to a William L. Hobbs. The first is in Boston MA where he is mentioned in the Sunday Herald in 1890 performing “songs and dances” at the “Gaiety Musee and Bijou Theatre.” He appears well-down the list of performers and there are no minstrel performers in sight, but who else could it be?¹⁹ There is one final mention of Hobbs in the Worcester Spy in 1901. In an article about another musician who had performed in the past with Bryant’s Minstrels, W. L. Hobbs was also remembered as having also been a member of that famous troupe, “ a part in the orchestra.”²⁰ But it is unclear if he was still alive at that time or if this article was written by someone with a very long memory.

Whether William L. Hobbs died in 1874 or at some later date is a question best left to future researchers. Maybe they can find a picture of him also. But the question of who commissioned his “Americus Quick Step” remains unanswered. Could it have been the city of Americus, GA for its brass band, like we originally thought? Or could it have been composed for “Boss” Tweed’s Americus Club, for performance by either Grafulla’s or Dodworth’s bands? No one knows. But the fact remains that W. L. Hobbs’ “Americus Quick Step” is a wonderful march, and in my opinion, superior to many pieces in that genre. And it is indeed fortunate that Mark Elrod discovered it and that the Americus Brass Band has recorded it, preserving it for future generations.

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W. L. Hobbs and his“Americus Quick Step”

W. L. Hobbs and his
“Americus Quick Step”