Jordan Noble Drum
Noble achieved lasting fame for his role in the Battle of New Orleans. His drum is a cornerstone of HNOC’s holdings related to the conflict and the War of 1812.
As a musician, one of my favorite objects in our collection is this military snare drum that belonged to Jordan Bankston Noble (1800–1890), a formerly enslaved veteran of the Battle of New Orleans who volunteered in the 7th US Infantry Regiment. On January 8, 1815, Jordan was 14 years old. He became a hero on the Chalmette battlefield that day by signaling drum calls as orders were issued by Major General Andrew Jackson. Jackson only spoke English, and several of the soldiers beneath him spoke French or Choctaw. For this reason, Jordan’s signals were of chief importance. In place of Jordan’s drum, shoddy translations may have led to a different outcome.
Jordan Noble didn’t play this drum in the Battle of New Orleans, and we know that because the manufacturer, Klemm & Brother, started importing instruments to the United States in 1816 and opened their Philadelphia storefront in 1819. One New Orleans City Directory lists a Klemm & Brother retail store at 45 Canal Street in 1832. It is likely that Jordan purchased this military snare post-1832 and used it in later battles—perhaps in the Second Seminole War.
I have been building drums for over 20 years, and my favorite component of this instrument is the tuning mechanism—hand-sewn leather straps called “ears” that group each pair of verticals. These are the predecessor of today’s drum keys, and Jordan would have had to pay close attention to their position. I can imagine him kneeling every so often, gently resting his drum on the ground to check the integrity of the ears. In our year-round humid climate, Jordan would have needed to manipulate these hooks every few hours to check the tension on both drumheads. It would have been a matter of pride to stay in tune—akin to a soldier properly maintaining his weapon.
Jordan continued to play the drum for the remainder of his life, and newspaper records tell us that he was held in high esteem by the New Orleans community after the war. He was called to entertain audiences at the 1884 World’s Industrial and Cotton Centennial Exposition, when he would’ve been 84 years old. We have several objects and documents in our collection relating to Jordan Noble, and many of them are available to view in our online catalog.
Explore Our Jordan Noble Holdings
Learn about Jordan Noble’s impact on New Orleans through letters, photographs, and more in our online catalog.
Research Tools
Battle of New Orleans Research Pathfinder
HNOC houses one of the largest collections in the world related to the Battle of New Orleans and the War of 1812 in the South. This detailed pathfinder is a perfect way to start your research and get to know our archival holdings.
By Dhani Adomaitis, programming coordinator
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