The Grenada gazette., 1888-02-11
UNION WAR.SON as.
How Some B0ys In Hue ku,ertxincd ,
Party Of COnfede ratex.

Party Of Confsde rates
A day or two after .ee's surrender
in April. 1865. left ar ship a, Dutch
Gap" in the James river, for run mp
to Richmond, whe 70 | was joined by
the ships surge' ~. the paymaster aud
one Of the Junior officers. After '.lo-
ing RichmInd pretty thoroughly we
went in tic evening to my rooms for
dinner. Dinner being over and the
events of the day recounted. the doc
tor. who was fine player, opened the
piano, saying: "Boys, we've got our
old quartcttc here; let's have a sing
As the house opposite was occupied by
parolcd Confederate officers, no patri-
otic songs were sung. Soon the lady Of
the house handed me this note:
Compliments of General - and
staff. Will the gentlemen kindly al
low us to come over and hear them
sing?' Of course we consented and
they came. As the General entered
the room, l recognized the face and
figure of one who stood second only to
Lee or jackson. in the whole Confeder-
acy. After introductions and the usu-
al interchange of civilities, we sang for
them glccs and college songs, until at
last the General said
"Excusc me gentlemen. you sing de-
lightfully. but what are want to hear is
your army songs" Then we gave them
the army songs with unction. the bat
tie Hymn of the Republic. "John
Browns Body" "We're Coming, Faith
cr Abraham" Tramp, Tramp. Tramp,
the Boys are Marching" through the
whole catalogue, to the "Star Spangled
Banner"-to which many foot beat
time as If it had never stepped to any
but the emusic of the Union"
closed our concert with Rally Round
the Flag. Boys When the applause
had subsidized, tall. fine look
ing fellow in Majors uni
form exclaimed 'Gcntlemcn, if we'd
had your songs we'd have licked you
out of your boots! Who could have
marched or fought with such songs?
While we had nothing, absolutely moth
ing, except bastard 'Marseillaise,' the
'Bonny Blue Flag and Dixie. which
were nothing but jigs. Maryland, my
Maryland was splendid song, but the
old Lauriger Horatius' was about as
inspiring as the Dead March in Saul
while every one of these Yankee songs
is full of marching and lighting spirit"
Then turning to the General he said:
81 shall never forget the first time | |
heard Rally Round the Flag Twas
a nasty night during the Seven Days
Fight, and if remember rightly it was
raining. | was on picket, when. just
before taps some fellow on the other
side struck up that song and others
joined in the chorus until it seemed to
me the whole Yankee army was sing
ing. Tom B.. who was with me,
sung out. Good heavens, Cap. what
are those fellows made of. anyway
Here we we licked EN- six days running,
and now on the eve OF the seventh. they
ire singing Rally Round the Flag
am not naturally superstiticus, but l
ell you that song sounded to me like
he 'knell of doom, and my heart went
iown into my boots; and though I've
ried to do my duty, it has been an up
ill fight with ine ever since that
light
The little company of Union singers
nd Confederate auditors. after a pleas.
mt and interesting interchange of
tories of army experience, then sepa-
ated, and as the General shook hands
t parting, he said to me: well, the
ime may come when we can all sing
he Star Spangled Banner again. l
ave not seen him since. Richard ..
VenfworM Browne, in Century.