Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1883-05-24

When Johnny comes marching home,
but the tune is of that rollieking, devil
may-care order that is very catching. The
fact is, Gilmore built up his words to
suit bis air, on the same principle that
in Virginia they build the chimney
first and then erect the house against it.
The air was an inspiration, but the
words might be classified as rhymes
without reason.
Poor Miles O'Reilley Charles G. Hal
pine4 set to the Irish air of "The Low
Backed Car" the words Of the humorous
song of which We here give the first
verso. and we have heard him sing it
with fine effect
Some tell us 'tis burning shame
To make the naygurs fight,
An that the thrade Of being kilt
Belongs but to the white;
But as for me, upon my sOul!
So liberal are we here,
I'll let Sambo be murdered in place of
myself
On every day in the year.
On every day in the year, boys,
And every hour In the day,
The right to be kilt I'll divide wild him,
An diyil word I'll say.
He was the life of many campfire
was Private Miles O'Reilley, and much
of the best and racieSt literature of the
war came from his gifted pen.
The Star Spangled Banner will ever
rank as the first of American war sengs,
and linked with it will be Hail COlum
bia, America, and The Red, White and
Blue We are not certain that this lat
ter is an American song. 1t has been
claimed by the English under the title
britannia, the Gem of the Ocean, The
first person we ever heard sing it was
the late Edward l.. Davenport, and he
once informed US that he get the song in
the mother land. Hail Columbia was
set by its author, Judge HopklnsOn, to
the air of The Presidents March, which
somebody had composed in honor of
Washington; but the words of The
Star Spangled Banner are sung to an
old English bacchanalian air. TO Ana
creon in Heaven while the Rsv. Mr.
Smiths My Country, 'Tis of Thee goes
to the air of 'Ged Save the Queen The
national hymn, with appropriate origi-
nal music, is yet to be written. Ksller'S
hymn does not fill the bill, nor indeed
does Julius Eichbsrg's, or that ambitious
production which Gilmore gave to the
country some TIVE OF three years since.
We have touched but lightly on few
of the soldiers songs. Did one 60 into
the matter to any great extent there
certainly would not be sutficiency of
space in this edition Of the Traveller to
accommodate Us. While there was plen-
ty sf enduring poetry written during
the war, the number of really meritOri-
torious 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 US, for we GER
tainly MRS. Howe's noble effort aslde)
do not possess single song of the re-
bellion at al comparable to Maryland,
My Maryland and the air to which it is
sung is we'll fitted to the words. We re-
member once having heard it sung un-
der 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 dis
tressing forced march, wearying alike to
man and beast, and going into biVouac
the staff to which we were attached took
up their quarters on the piazza of = lone
ly mansion. and there, wrapping them
selves in their blankets, with their sad
dies for pillows, sought needed repose.
Sleep refused to visit US. The night was
a delicious one; twas warm, but slight
breeze was stirring the sky was intense
ly clear, and the stars were many and
brilliant. The stillkess was profound.
Every one around as was sunk in slum-
Der. Suddenly thsre fell upon our ears
the words
The tyrsnt's heel Is on thy neck.
Maryland, My Maryland
The voice was nezzo soprano, full,
round, and clear, and the charming mel
ody was sung with infinite tenderness
and great delicaey of shading. We lis
tened almost breathless, for twas the
first time We had ever heard the song,
and when it was concluded we arose for
the purpose of ascertaining who was the
singer. We found her in the person of a
plump little negro girl of about 16 years,
with face blaeker than the smoke of
Vulcan's smithy. As Desdemona saw
Othello's visage in his mind" so We also
saw the visage of this girl only in the
sweetness of her voice. which was of a
certainty one of the purest vocal organs
we ever listened TO.
"The Bonnie Blue Flag" was another
of the secession songs, which met with
great favor. 1t was, if we remember
Alright, written by an Irish actor by the
name of VIM. Mccarthy, and first sung
by hissister, Marion Mccarthy, at the
Varieties Theater, New Orleans. The
air is m old and popular Irish melody,
"The Irish Jauuting Car" Our people
were not long in getting hold of the
song, and very soon capital answer
was written, the first verse Of which we
give:
"Ah, no, the bonnie blue flag
With one white ghastly star,
Never shall float before our ranks,
To lead the brave afar;
But blend the hue of sunset
The bonnie red, white and blue
Shall fire our souls with patriot zeal,
With hope and courage true.
Hurrah, hurrah, for Nations rights,
hurrah,
They shall not harm our beautiful flag
Nor quench single star"
"Dixie" can scarcely be called war
song, for it 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"
A celored servant girl of Boston. at
tempted to poison the family Of Rev. DR..
Fletcher, consisting Of five persons.
Failin, in this, she saturated her cloth
ing with coal oil, applied lighted
match, and was burned to death.
At An,ity, Clark county, Ark, Prof.
r. M. Burke, principal of the schools,
dismissed his pupils Monday afternoon,
and tw hours later was found dead In
the school room. Ne cause was assign
ed, butit is believed his death was due
to the unhappy termination of love
affair.
The Ohio Brewers and Maltsters' AS
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