The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1883-06-01
SOLDIERS S SONGS.
Reminiscent Rhymes OF tho Rebel
lion-Hailads OF the Billie. "a

REIMBURSEMENT Rhymes or tho Rebel
4 Iion-Hailads3 OF the Billie.
From the Boston Traveller,
The war proved u very fruitful themo
for the poetaster, and many q t,edging
bard delivered himself Of more or loss
patriotic jingle which It would Do quite
unbecoming to rate under the name OF
poetry. Many war songs---A"d some 81
them are very good, too--wsrs written
for special purposes; to chronicle some
particular event. or in praise u ssme
individual regiment; and on thSsas>seune
they never became popular, But such NJ
the Battle Cry Of. Freedom "KSnS,lom
Coming" Marching Through Georgia."
"When Johnny Comes Marching
Home" "John Browns Body"
etc., achieved an universalityl that made
them known from one end osthe land to
the other. The song Of tho soldier never
sounds so we'll as when sung on tho bat
tie field. There it reaches to y height OF
sublimity obtainable nowhere else; and
perhaps no finer volume Of sound could
be heard than Cromwel's round-heads.
chanting the cold Hundredth" after the
battle of Marston Moor; q legion OF
Frenchmen" singing The Marseillales.
or one Of our own army corps pouring
forth in unison "John Browns Body"
1t is safe to say that Notwithstanding
war of the rebellion was the means of
bringing out, not one tirst-class Lyric, not
one single poem fit to be ranked with
Thomas Campbell's immortal "Ye Mari
ners of England" was the result. Per-
haps Mrs. Howe's "Battle Hymn, of fhe
Republic" is the most sublime of all the
songs that we're written during the re-
bellion, but this falls far short Of Camp
bells song. BY the way, who is respon-
sible for the air "Glory, Hallelujah?"
Has it a father, or ID it grow, like Top
sey? The air is original with the words,
"John Browns body lies Wondering in
the DUST" but where itsprung from, who
can tell? It followed hard upon..another
John Brown ditty, which we heard q
crowd Of boys and half-grown men sing
ing while parading through the streets
one night after the close of meeting
which was held at Faneuil Hall to Ia
ment over the execution ofJohn Brown.
The ditty, like the famous song of "Fhe
Black Snake" consisted of one hundred
verses, all alike and this was its burden:
"Tell JohN Andrew,
Tell John Andrew,
Tell John Andrew
John Browns dead.''
From this sprang the now famous song
which is perhaps the most popular of all
the army songs, and of the many YER
sions that have been made, the best Is
from the pen of DR.. w. Wetmore:
"See they come, from the mountain and
the plain,
maintain,
And they never will return, till the coun-
try stands again
United firm and free.
Glory Hallelujahl etc.
Henry Clay Work. q Western bard,
wrote and composed the music ofseveral
of the best songs, among which may be
named marching Through Georgia"
and that very capital and favorite song
with the soldiers, "Kingdom Coming"
which has an additional charm from
being in the negro dialect.
''Say darkles, hab you seen de massa
Wild DE- muffstash on his face,
Go long de road some time dis mornin'
| Like his goin' to leave de placer
he seen de smoke way up de riober
| Where de Lincum gunboats lay;
| he took his hat and left berry sudden,
| And spose he's ruined away!
| De massa run. ha, ha!
De darkey stay, no, hol
1t must be now de Kingdom comm,
An de var OBJ jubilo."
The air which accompanies these
words is very inspiring one, and it
makes a capital Quickstep. We call to
mind an incident in connection with it.
The army of the Potomac was on its
march to intercept Lee, in his march
through Pennsylvania. The Fifth corps
then commanded by Meade, passed
through the town ofCulpepper, or Gull
pepper Court House, as it was then
called. We were riding with Strong
Vincent, afterwards killed at Gettys-
burg, who then commanded the Third
brigade of the First division. When we
came to the outskirts of the town-it
was a place of some eight hundred in
acknowledgements ordered all the flies
and drums in the brigade to be massed
and with those in the front and with col
ors fving, we went through, the drums
beating aud the fie3 tooting Kingdom
Coming" and "the boys" landing a ready
chorus. We had got half way through
the principal street indeed, there was
|
of a dilapidated dwelling was thrown
open and there appeared asolitary fe-
male, with the most vinegariah visage
we ever beheld on a mortal. She looked
at. the troops for moment, and then,
plivering with rage and shaking her
fingers, she screamed out at the top "
her voice: ~ welcome you with hos
pitable hands to bloody graves" A
Shout of derision was returned, and she
disappeared as suddenly as she had ap.
| peared.
George F. Root, who was sometime a
music teacher in this city is the author
and composer Of" Tramp, tramp, tramp
sin the prison cell sit,
| Thinking, mother dear, of you,
And our bright and happy home so far
! away,
And the tears they fill my eyes,
| Spite of all that can do,
Though try to cheer my comrades and be
gay.
Tramp, tramp, tramp, the boys are march
Root is also the author of the "Battle
Cry of Freedom"
eyes, we'll rally round the flag, boys
| Well rally once again,
Shouting the BATTLE cry Of freedom,
| We will rally from The hillside,
| Well gather from the plain,
Shouting the battle cry OF freedom!"
There is an adaptability to the air o
this song which makes it available tx
many words. The soldiers were fond o.
setting the words of "Mary had little
lamb" to it, with ludicrous effect. AS TO-
instance:
"Mary had little lamb,
It's fleece was white as snow.
Shouting the battle cry of freedom,
And every place that Mary went,
| The lamb WAC S11ro to on