The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1886-10-07
TUNEFUL "CHESTNUTS."
Origin of the Sweet Ballads Which Never
Grow Old.

John Browns Body is an old Meth
odist camp-meeting tune, and the words
were adapted to it by glee club of Bos-
ton. 1t was first published at Charles
town, Mass. Captain James Greenleaf,
an organist of the Harvard Church. set
the notes for music, and Massachusetts
regiment made them first noted by sing
ing them in Fort Warren in 1861.
The author of Maryland, My Mary
land" lives at Washington, and you
may see him in the press galleries of
Congress almost any day during the
session. He writes gossipy letters to the
Atlanta Chronicle. His name is James
r. Randall.
America" was written by Rev. Sam
uel Francis Smith, in 1885, and it was
first sung in Boston on the Fourth of
July of that year. Like the Battle
Hymn of the Republic" it was inspired
by a great tune, viz: ''God Save the
King" This tune is used in nearly
every country, and has been ascribed to
Handel. The writer of the words still
lives in Massachusetts, and he says that
he wrote the song at sitting He is
now IS years old.
John Howard Payne's '.Home, Sweet
Home was written for an opera, and
he never got anything for it but his
tombstone in Oak Hill Cemetery. 1t was
first sung in the Covent Garden Theater
in London, and made big hit.
Foster got $4,000 for writing @'Old
Folks at Home;" Charles Dibdin netted
several weeks board for writing Poor
jack" while his publishers made $15,-
900 out of it. Crouch, the writer of
kathleen Mavourneen," received 1926
for the production and afterward be-
came begging tramp. while its pub
fishers could have built brown-stone
front out of its sales. George P. Morris
wrote "Woodman. Spare That Tree"
because the purchaser of a friends
estate wanted TO cut down a tree which
his grandfather had planted. His friend
paid the purchaser $40 to spare it Nor
ris was touched by the story and wrote
the song.
Hail Columbia" was written by
Joseph Hopkinson in the Summer of
| 1898, and it was first called the "Presi-
dents March," 1t was always sung
| when Washington came into the theater,
and one of the objects of its writing was
| the cultivation of a patriotic spirit
| among the people of the republic.
Joseph Hopkinson was % years old
when he wrote it. 1t was first set to
music by German. at Philadelphia,
named Roth.
The Star Spangied Banner" was
written by Francis Scott Key while
watching the bombardment of Fort Nc
| Henry. He was in small vessel among
| the British ships, and he saw his coun-
trymen win the victory. All through
the fight he watched anxiously to see if
| the flag was still standing; looking for
| it at night by the flash of the bombshells.
| and anXiously awaiting the dawning.
| The song was printed in the Baltimore
America" eight days after the battle,
under the title of 1.-The Defense of Fort
McHenry."
Many people will be surprised to know
that Yankee Doodle" is not of Ameri-
can origin. Even the words date back
| beyond the days of Queen Anne, and
the tune is still older In the wars of
| the Roundheads, saws Commodore
Preble IN his book on the flag of the
United States. to which, by the way,
am indebted for much of this informa-
ton, Yankee Doodle" was applied in
dersion to Cromwell, and Professor
Rimbault, prominent physician of
London, wrote the song directed at
| Cromwell under this title. The jingle
of these two songs is about the same,
and the words are not much different.
DR.. Schuchburg first introduced the
song into this country in 1775, and this
was also in contempt of the ragged
! colonial soldiers. At Concord and Lex
ington the British, when advancing to
fight, bravely played God Save the
King" and after they were defeated the
Yankees, as they watched their retreat,
struck up Yankee Doodle"
columbia, the Gem of the Ocean,"
was written by Thomas a'Deeket an
English actor, who in 1889 was teacher
of music at Philadelphia.
The Blue and the Gray was written
by Francis Miles Finch. and delivered
before q reunion of the army of tine Po-
tomac. 1t was drawn out by the fact
that the women of Columbus, MISS.
strewed flowers on the graves of Con-
federate and Union soldiers alike. 1t
was published in the atlantic Monthly,
September, 1867.