Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1888-01-19
Union WarSongs and Confederate Officers.
Richard Wentworth Browne.

The reading of Mr.. Brander Mathews
"Song of the War;" in the August number
of the Century, wildly recalls to mind an
incident of my own experience which
seems to me so apt an illust, alton of the
effect of army songs upon men that l
venture TO send it to you, as l remember
it, after twenty-five years.
A day or two after Lees surrender in
April, 1865, I left our ship at "Dutch
Gap" in the James River, for run up
to Richmond, where I was Joined by the
ships surgeon, the paymaster, and one
of the junior officers. After "doing"
Richmond pretty thoroughly we went in
the evening TO my rooms for dinner.
Dinner being over and the events of the
day recounted, the doctor, who was a fine
player, opened the piano, saying; Boys,
we've got our old quartette here; let's
have a sing" AS the house opposite was
occupied by paroled Confederate officers,
no patriotic songs were sung. Soon the
lady of the house handed me this note:
"Com pliments of General - and staff.
Will the gentlemen kindly allow US to
come over and hear them sing?" Of
course we consented. and they came. AS
the General entered the room, recog-
who stood second only to Lee or Jackson,
in the whole Confederacy. After intro
auctions and the usual interchange of
ciyiiities, we sang for them glees and col
lege songs, until at last the general said:
excuse me, gentlemen, you sing de-
lightfully, but what we want to hear is
your army songs" Then we gave them
the army songs with junction., the "Battle
OF hn nhn ;z
Body" We're Coming, Father Abraham"
"Tramp, Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are
Marching" through the whole catalogue,
to the ''Star spangled Banner to
which many a foot beat time as if it had
of the Union,"- and closed our concert
with "Rally Round the Flag, Boys"
When the applause had subsidized tall
ine-looking fellow in a majors uniform
exclaimed, "Gentlemen, if we'd had your
songs we'd have licked you out of your
boots! Who couldn't have marched or
fought with such songs? While we had
nothing, absolutely nothing, except a bas-
tard 'MarceIllaise,' the Bonny Blue Flag,
and Dixie which were nothing but jigs.
Maryland, my Maryland was splendid
song, but the true, old 'Lauriger Horatius'
was ABOUT DIS Inspiring DIS Gne 'D6du
March in SAUL while every one of these
Yankee songs is full of marching and
fighting spirit" Then turning to the
general he said; 1 shall never forget
the first night heard Rally Round the
Flag Twas a nasty night during the
Seven Days Fight and if remember
rightly it was raining. l was on picket,
when, just before taps some fellow
struck up that song and others joined in
the chOrous until itseemed to me that 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 I tell you that song sounded to me
like the 'knell OF DOOM and lay heart
went down into my boots; and though
I've tried to do my duty, it has been an
uphill fight with me ever since that
night"
The little company of Union singers
and confederate auditors, after pleas
ant and interesting interchange of
stories of army experiences, they separa-
ted, and as the general shook hands at
parting, he said to me: "Well, the time
may come when we can all sing the Star
spangle6 Banner again" l have not
seen him since.