This wooden fife is a nice example of a typical musical wind instrument as used during the Civil War period and later.  In very good original condition, this post-war cylindrical fife measures 17” long and is made of wood which may be grenadilla or African blackwood. The wood fife is pitched in the key of B-flat and displays 1¾” long German silver ferrules, or bands at both ends. Both ferrules show a fine, narrow line of checkering at the ends.  Exhibited in line on the tapered body one-half inch away from one ferrule are six, evenly spaced finger holes of varying size (approximately 1/4” dia).  The mouth hole is located on the swell at the opposite end near the other ferrule. Specimen is strongly stamped with the maker’s mark of “CROSBY” and fife also has two carved initials “J W” near the mouth hole. Instrument is in very good condition with no cracks or splits. A fine representative example of a post Civil War period fife at a reasonable price.