Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1888-02-25
WAR SONGS or THE UNION.


An Incldenf which Occurred Few Days
AFTER the Surrender Of Lees Army.
A day or two after Lees surrender in
April, 1885, left our ship at s'Dutch
Gap,,, in the James river, for a run up to
Richmond, where / was joined BY the
chips surgeon, the paymaster, and one Of
che junior officers. After doing Rich
mond pretty thoroughly we went in the
evening to my rooms for dinner. Dinner
being over and the events CT the day re
counted, the doctor, who was . fine
player, opened the piano, saying Boys.
we've got our old quartette hers let's
have n sing" As the house oppo> te was
occupied by paroled Confederate officers,
no patriotic songs were sung. Soon the
lady Of tho house handed me this note:
Compliments OF Gen. - and staff.
WIN the gentlemen kindly allow us to
come over and hear them singf' OF
course we consented, and they came. AS
the general entered the room, recognized
instantly the face and figure of one who
stood second only to Lee or Jackson, in
the whole Corfederacy. After intro
auctions and the usual Interchange OF
civilities, we sang for them glees and col
lege songs, until at last the general said:
+ "Excuss me, gentlemen, you sing de-
hghtfully, but what we want to hear is
your army songs" Then we gave them
the army songs with junction. the "Bat-
tie Hymn Of the Republic" John
Browns Body, :" Were Coming, Father
Abraham Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the
Boys are Marching" through the whole
catalogue, to the ''Star Spangled Banner"
had never stepped to any but the Emusic
Of the Union''-and closed our concert
with "Rally Round the Flag, Boys"
When the applause had subsidized, tall,
fine looking fellow in q majors uniform
exclaimed: Gentlemen, IL we'd had
your songs we'd have licked you out of
your bootsi Who couldn't have marched
or fought with such songsf While we had
nothing, absolutely nothiRg, except
bastard sMarseillaise,' the 'Bonny Blue
Flag and Dixie, which were nothing but
iigs. Maryland, My Maryland was
splendid song, but the true, old
Lauriger Horatius' was about as In
spring as the Dead March In Saul,
while every one of these Yankee songs
Is full Of marching and fighting spirit"
Then, turning to the general, he said: II
shall never forget the first time heard
Rally Round the Flag Twas a nasty
night during the Seven Days Fight, and
II remember rightly 1t was raining. l
was on picket, when, just before taps,
some fellow on the other side struck up
that song and others joined in the chorus
until IL seemed to me the whole Yankee
army was singing. Tom B., who was
with me, sung out, Good heavens, Cap,
what are those fellows made of, anyway?
Here we've licked 'em six days running,
and now ON the eve OF the seventh, they're
singing rally Round the Flag" am
not naturally superstitious, but tell you
that song sounded to me like the 'knell Of
doom, and my heart went down into my
boots; and though I've tried to do my
duty, 1t has been an up hill fight with me
ever since that night.
The little company of Union singers
and Confederate auditors, after pleasant
and interesting interchange of stories of
army experiences, then separated, and as
the general shook hands at parting, he
said to me: ''Well, the time may come
when we can all sing the Star Spangled
Banner again. / have not seen him
since.--Richard Wentworth Browne in
The Century