National Republican., 1883-06-14
FAMOUS BATTLE SONGS.
somo OF the Compositions OF the RcvoIu-
ton and the Rebellion.
gosJon y,.,,,J.,


Boston 7rdrcicr
"The Star Spangled Banner" will over rank
as tho first of American war songs, and linked
with it will he Hail, Columbia, America"
and "The RED, White and Blue" We are
not certain that this latter is an American
song. 1t has been claimed by the English,
under the title "Britania, tho Gem of tho
Ocean, The first person we over heard sing
IL was the late Edward l.. Davenport, and he
once informed us that he got the
song in tho mother land. Hail Columbia" !"
was set by its author, Judge Hopkinson, to
tho air of "rho Presidents March, which
somebody had composed in honor of Wash.
ington; but the words of "1he Star Spangled
Banner" are sung to an old English bacchana-
lian air, ITO Anacreon in Heaven" while the
Rev. Mr.. Smiths "My Country It's of Thee"
goes to the air of "God Save the Queen"
The national hymn, with appropriate music,
is yet to be written. koller's hymn does not
fill the bill, nor indeed, does julius Eich-
bergs, or that ambitious production which
Gilmore gave to the country two or three
years since. While there was plenty of en-
during poetry written during the war, the
number of really meritorious songs that were
given birth TO were few indeed. On the
whole, we are inclined to think that in this
respect the south was in advance of MS,
for we certainly Mrs. Howe's noble
effort aside) do not possess q single
song of the rebellion at all comparable
to Maryland, My Maryland and the
air to which it is sung is well fitted to the
words. We remember once having heard it
sung under circumstances that for the time
made us fancy it was the sweetest thing we
ever listened to. We had reached Frederick
City, in Maryland, after distressing forced
march, wearying alike to man and boast, and
on going into bivouac tho staff to which we
were attached took up their quarters on the
piazza Of a lonely mansion, and there wrap
ping themselves in their blankets, with their
saddles for pillows sought needed rcpose.
Sleep refused to visit us. The night was n
delicious one; it was warm, but slight
breeze was stirring; the sky was intensely
clear, and the stars were many and brilliant.
The stiffness was profound. Every one
around us was sunk in slumber. Suddenly
there fell upon our ears the words,
The tyrants heel is on thy neck,
Maryland, my Maryland.
Tho voice was mezzo soprano, full, round
and clear, and the charming melody was sung
| with infinite tenderness and deicacy of shad
ing. We listened almost breathless, for it was
| the first time we had ever heard the song, and
when il was concluded we arose for the pur.
pose of ascertaining who was the singer. We
| found her in the person of a plump little
negro girl of about 16 years, with face
blac<er than the smoke in Vulcan's smithy
As Desdamona "saw Othellos visago in his
mind" so we also saw the visage OF this grl
only in the sweetness of her voice, which waf
of n certainty one oil the purest vocal organ:
we had ever listened to.
"The Bonnie Blue Flag" was another o
the secession songs which met with great
favor. 1t was, If we remember Alright writ.
ten by an Irish actor by the name of William
Mccarthy, and first sung by his sister, Marion
| Mccarthy, at the Varties theater, New Or
leans. The air is an old and popular Irish
melody, "The Irish Jaunting Car" Oul
people were not long in getting hold of the
song and very soon capital answer wat
written.
"Dxie" can scarcely be called war song
for is was written and composed before the
rebellion had birth. But it was sung by both
armies, and though of southern origin, was
quite as popular at the north as in " the land
of cotton" In bringing these few and desul-
tory sentences to n close, we desire to express
the wish that a really good collection of the
songs of the rebellion on both sides might be
made. There is material enough, and the
enterprsing publisher who would undertake
it would be certain to put money in his
nurse.