National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1881-01-01
" JOHN BROWNS BODY"
THAT GRAND OLD MARCHING SONG.
How the Boys in Blue Sang the swelling Aathsa
while On the March in Old Virginia State
1t Warmed Them Up for heroic
Work on the Battlefield.
BY A VOLUNTEER.

1t was, think. Headley, that most romsntis
of historical writers, who thrillingly pictured
NapoeOn's Old Guard closing about their EmperOE,
! and singing the "Marselaise" amid the roar Of
! the enemys guns. / read the story while yet o
small boy. and had quite forgotten it, when an in
| cident which occurred during the advance Of the
! Union army upon Yorktown brought 1t freshly TO
mind
The movement up the Peninsula was made IN
two columns led by General Fix John Porters diyi-
sion of Heintzelman's corps the Fifth Corps had
| not yet been organized and Smiths division Of
Keyes' corps, respectively.
! PorteFs troops were on ~ righs, nearest tho
York River Smiths forming the lefs the two diEi.
/ sions moving parallel, and but a short distances
apart
| We of Porter's division. to which belonged,
marched by way of Big Bethel and HeWard1
Bridge, meeting and overcoming the resistance Of
the enemy at both of those points and reached tbs
/ vicinity of Yorktown the morning of April 5,
/ 1862
| The roads we had found in wTetched condition
all the way up, owing to the Hatness of the country
and frequent rains: but the difficulties already
overcome were as nothing when compared with
| those to be encountered. We were, as yet soma
eight ten miles from the confederate stronghold,
andbef0re us lay an extensive belt OF heavy timb1,
| through which we were compelled to advance by
| a
| trees had been felled, and the bridges over tho
streams had been destroyed. rendering it next to
impossible for artillery and supplies aud exceed
| ingly difficult for cavalry and infantry, to make
any appreciate progress.
During the night of the 18th a severe rain set in,
and next morning, when the orde- to march
came the storm had not abated, but on the con-
| trary, was raging with increased violence.
| As already suggested, the face of the country
I H. L,
and the soil, of that peculiarly sticky clay for
which Virginia is noted, was speedily transformed
by tramping feet into one vast river of mud along
the channel of which we labOriOusly made our
way.
Men and horses sank to their knees and the guns
| following OH behind trailed their nuzzles in the
viScouS, semi-huid mixture.
Although early in the year, the weather was
quite warm during the daytime, thus adding
greatly to our discomfort; and, loaded down as ~
were with our equipments. knapsackS, overcoats,
blankets (thc aforementioned article pretty geRer'
ally saturated with water, and from sixty to one
hundred rounds OF cartridges, the only wonder Is
that we were able to make any Roadway at all
AbOut eleven or twelve o'clock, when were
| well into the timber, where not breath of air
could reach us, the rain ceased, the clouds broke
away, and the sun shone downupon with undi-
miniShed warmth. and brilliancy. WOOed blythe eK
cesSive heat, the deadly exhalations from the
swampS hedging us iii on either side arose 81
densely as 10 almost produce suffoeatiOn. ThS
effect was soon apparent. The men did not faI
out of ranks, but began 10 lag. Forms hitherto
erect began to stOop beneath their burdens
Laughter and jokes which had been INDUCED In
even while the storm was at its height, disaP
peared. and grim, logged silence settled down
over the weared sons of Mars tOling so slowly and
painfully along.
Boom! Ahead of us one of the confederate gum
had spoken. Soon anotner AMI yet another, sent
forth notes of warning that our near approach had
been discovered.
SkirmisherS were advanced, and the command,
Pioneers TO the 'front.'" passed along the limo
There YVES work for them-acres of ground to be
cleared cords of wood to be cut and borne away
before the column could proceed. The men Wers
stimulated by the excitement to renewed exertiOns.
Overcoats, knapsacks, blankets everything that
could be readily dispensed with, were east aside
and the living stream flowed sulleny on toward the
open country not far away.
We had progressed perhaps half mile when
again our endeayorS began to relax. Urged on by
our officers we strOve to obey but with poor sue
cess. Fatigue sat heavy upon us.
Just then. at the most critical period, when the
impending crisis seemed about ready to preeipitate
us into a rabbe. an officer, Lieutenant Brown, of
my own regiment, struck up " John Browns Body"
The tune was entirely new to most of us, bul
pleased our fancy amazingly. The effect was cleo
trical. The men took up the chorus the air be
came familiar, the crooked forms grew straight
and the weary ploddjng feet commenced to
cadence their ceaSeless tramp, tramp, tramp, 70
the quck-timed measure of the inspiring melody
The ranks were closed up Is if by magic. There
were no more ALTERING foOtsteps-nO laggards.
The troops in our rear caught the refrain, and
\. IL.
rus lifted high above the tops of the Oyerhang
ing trees by the united efforts of scarcely less than
three thousand singers.
The Army of the Potomac had found its MAR.
sellaiSe"
We neared the edge of the timber. The COnfed-
crate cannon opened up on us in earnest. Through
the green foliage above heads Kissed the solid
shot and screamed the shells launched at by ths
foe. They swept over us like d tornado Huge
branches torn from the trunks of salwart trees by
the iron bolts, came crashing down. The stroke %
the axe-manS weapon resOunded from every side,
as the pioneers made way for our artillery to pass
to the front. battery rumbled through between
our divided ranks, passed into the field beyond,
and opened fire; but above the staccatO music OF
the woodmens axes, above the noise of falling
timber and bursting shells, above even the Of
cannon and all the multitudinous din of conflict
swelled the music of the afterward famous and
grand Old marching song of the Army of the PotO-
mac, John Browns Body"
We sang IL as we marched from underneath the
trees. The chorus grew as our column deployed in
line OF battle The smoke from ourguns drfted back
and obscured the singers but the voice of song
manned. 1t was inspiring, thrilling expert.
once. and one never to be forgotten.
1 heard the song many times afterward; I heard
it on the night march through Falmouth, as we
were pushing to the relief Of Pope. 1 heard Il
sung after It's appropriation by the veterans of tho
Potomac army As their especial property, by en-
tire division Of lusty voices heard after GettyS
burg; heard the same music, If not the words, in
the hun Of the House of Representatives at Wash
ingtOn when the presence of Lincoln, and Seward
and Stanton with many others whose memories
the Nation loves to honor gave increased vigOr 70
the voices or the multitude that sang; but never
have felt the thrill which experienced upon
that first occasion, when heard it chanted by
manly voices in front of the enemy's works al
Yorktown
Many of those voices have long been silent
Years have interviewed between that time and now,
and the past is thickly dotted over with grassy
mounds, each mound coneealins from sight tina
form of one whom Theld it no small honor then
to call my comrade. Times noiseleSS piniOns have
swept away the memories of many cherished faces,
but nothing short of eternity destroy the fell
lowship Of arms. As write they seem to come to
me, those men Of the First Brigade" stalwart and
strong, as in the days Of old From trench and
swamp, from the battle-ields OF Hanover and the
Seven Days, from Groveton, Antietan, Frederieks-
burg Gettysburg, and scores of places lying be-
tween the Rappahannock and the James, they
gather in, the reembodied spirits of the fallen.
From city and hamlet. from the workshop, the
farm, and the avenues of trade and learning, they
come-the survivors.
The ranks are formed beneath the tsttered flags
that never suffered shame. Regiment by regiment
they wheel into column. March! The column is
in motion, with a forest on either side Of tin
front of It, the foe Tramp tramp. tramp! Ali
the dust Of forgettulneSs lies thick upon other