Bellows Falls times. [volume] (Bellows Falls, Vt.) 1856-1965, 1875-07-09
The John Brown Song.

After the singer, the critic. Fortu-
nately for the truth about the famons
John Brown song, to which music our
armies marched during the late war,
the critic has begun in good season.
The Boston Transcript has lately pub
lished statement intended to set at
rest the question of its authorship We
have not seen this statement, but take
it condensed and commented upon by
the Nation
g So far as we can make out, the true
history of the song is as follows: When
in the spring of 1861, the Twelfth Mas
saehusetts Volunteers Commanded by
Colonel Fletcher Webster, son of
Daniel Webster) was in quarters on the
island in Boston Harbor, some of the
men, assisted by some of their visitors
from the city, amused themselves by
the words,
John Browns body lies mouIderiug in the grave
His souls marching on.
Glory. glory, halleluiah,
His souls marching on.
to an air of agreeable effect. This verse
says the Transcript correspondent (Mr.
G. Sprague Hall, who is reputed author
of the song) was at that time the only
verse known. That he was the writer
of it does not say indeed our inference
from his way of speaking of it is, that
he did not write it and does not mean to
be understood as claiming it for his pro-
perty. As for the air to which the
words are adopted, Mr.. Hall says that
he was by-and-by told by Mr.. Green
leaf, an organist resident in Charlestown,
Massachusetts, that as music was wanted
for the words, he being then on visit
to the island, recalled to mind and APP
piled a certain tune. This we take to
have been the tune which has since be-
come SO well known, and which Mr..
Greenleaf found to give great satisfac-
ton.
The tune also was no doubt of much
service to the words. Mr.. r. G. White
has spoken of it as blackberrying sort
of tune but the truth is, that as tune
for body of men to march by there
could hardly be better, and this was
good deal in the days when half the
adult male population of America was
practicing the art of keeping step. And
not only had this song this aid to popu.
larity, but a path had been prepared
for its many ways. Somehow, we dc
not recollect how, it had then for somt
months been the fashion in Massachu
setts for every anti-republican gather
ing, and especially for Douglass ant
Bell-and-Everett professions, to sing il
derision of Governor Andrew the words
Tell John Andrew
Tell John Andrew.
Tell John Andrew,
John Browns dead.
Salt won't him, etc.
John Browns dead,
This again we suppose to have beer
an adaptation of the farcical doggerel
Tell Aunt RodY, etc.
The old goose is dead.
Salt won't save him, etc.
Great stress was laid by the singer
on the fact of the deadness of JOIN
Brown and we have thought that i
was perhaps to this half savage em
phasizing of that fact that we owe tn
defiance contained in the counter as
sertion that the body of John Brow
might indeed be mouldering in tn
grave, but that his soul was marchin
on a conception to which the praise Q
sublimity cannot be denied, and whicl
may be regarded as civil wars chic
contribution of literature"
1t is singular that the critics shoul
have 50 entirely mistaken the origin q
the tune that and the chorus are unmis
takably Methodist. The air has bee
used at our camp-meetings for man
years with the words.
- Say. brother will You meet me.
Say, brother will you meet me-
Say, brother will you meet me,
On Canaan happy shore
Glory Halelujah. etc"
The verse is susceptible of endless var
ations, by substituting for brother
sister and preacher" and any ON
else who may occur to the singers mint
: When call was made for nationa
song, and committee appointed to selec
one from many offered, this John Brow
ditty was not among the competitor
Had it been, it would have been rejected
1t could make no pretentions to literar
merit; yet it embodied the one though
that stirred the heart of the nation
The cumbrous words that were aftel
wards adopted to the tune, under tn
name of the Battle Hymn of the RI
public" do not compare with the orig
5 nal efectiveness.-1he Standard.
D A party who was looking at a hous
in the Sixth Ward the other day, sal
he couldn't afford to pay so much rem