Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1870-05-19
BY A LADY OF BALTIMORE.

written at. Oakland, Allegheny
county, Maryland, almost within
hearing of the guns of Antietam
About ten days after that battle il
first appeared in print, in the COZ
umns of the Baltimore Republican
I (by the author,) headed "Found
on the body of Sergeant of the
IOld Stonewall Brigade, killed at
Winchester" The original copy
had dropped from his pocket in
the heart of the Federal encamp-
ment at Antietam, he being the
special correspondent of a North
ern journal.
Taken from the Republican, the
song was at once set to music, and
published simultaneously by two
music-dealers in Baltimore, bat
with different airs. The one to
which it was popularity sung
throughout Virginia, and especially
in the Confederate army in the
Valley, was composed by young
Frederick Benteen, a remarkable
musical genius, whose early death
was not only private but public
loss. The ''sympathisers" oil Bal
timore caught the tune as eagerly
as they had that OF "My Mary
land; )" but their enthusiasm met
with a rude check at the hands of
the reigning provost-msrshal, who
seized and burned the sheets, de.
stroyed the plates, and cauterized
the wound inflicted upon loyal
hearts by applying red-hot oath
of allegiance to several of the mu-
sic-sellers of the city.
But the song had already gone
through "the lines" 1t was re-
printed in Richmond, and gaily
sung by every woman and child
in the Valley of Virginia, especial
ly by the admirers of Gen. Jeb.
Stewart, with whom it was a fa-
vorite ditty. Once the author, in
passing alone and by night from
Gen Breckinridge's army (tben
lying near Woodstock to Rich
mond, was arrested at Gordonsville
as a Federal spy, and while guard. |
ed by two sentries in the public
room of an inn, was recognized by |
a stranger as "the man who wrote
'Stonewall Jackson's Way
In every printed collection of
the poems and songs of the war,
this one has been awarded prom
inent place, and almost every com
piler has sought for information
concerning its origin and author
ship. At one time the title of the
song was used as a handy Dewspa
per phrase, to describe the charac-
teristic exploits of its hero; and
'Stonewall Jackson's Way" ap-
oeared at the head of reports and !
editorials In the Southern press. =
As an example of the interest I
t aroused, we may mention that S
Dr.. Oliver Wendell Holmes, In his e
lively lecture on the "Songs of the
War;" spoke of "Stonewall Jack. ,
on's Way" as by far the best song {
hat had come from the rebel side.
Another writer cites it as a fine
Example of the true and stirring .
ballad, comparing it with Whit {
ier's well-known Barbara t
Freitchie." A leading New York a
journal once characterized it as a
"a ballad that will live as long as Y
be war is remembered;' and Put
iam's Monthly has twice pointed i
o it as genuine inspiration. Nor g
las Its fame been confined to this ?
ountry. A literary nobleman Of /.
England wrote to an American !,
oct, requesting him to procure, if 3
an autograph copy of the
ong.
In every place it has appeared :
anonymously, except in Miss Ma !
on's compilation, published in 0
Baltimore ; by her it is erroneous lii