New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1888-01-25
Union NaT-songs and Con-
federate Officers.

The reading Of Mr.. Brander Mat
thews' asongs OF the War;" in the Au-
gust number OF the Century, wildly
recalls to mind an incident of my own
experience which seems to me so apt
an illustration of the effect of army
songs upon me that venture to- send
it to you. as / remember 1t, after TWEEN
ty-two years.
A day or two after Lees surrender
in April, 1865. left. our ship at
Clutch Gap" in the James River, for
a run up to Richmond, where / was
Joined by the ships surgeon, the pay
master and one of the junior officers.
After doing" Richmond pretty thor
oughly we went in the evening to my
rooms for dinner. Dinner being over
and the events of the day recounted,
the Doctor, who was fine player,
opened the piano, saying: 'Boys,
we've got our old quartet here, let's
have sing" As the house opposite
was occupied by paroled Cofederate
officers. no patriotic 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
slng?' Of course we consented, and
they came. AS the General entered
the room [ recognized instantly the
lace and figure of one who stood Sec
ond only to Lee Or jackson, in the
whole Confederacy. After introduc-
lions and the usual interchange OF
clvllltles, we sang for them glees and
college 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 Hymn OF the Republic
John Browns Body" "We're COM
ing, Father Abraham" '.Tramp,
Tramp, Tramp, the boys are March
ing through the whole catalogue. to.
the "Star-spangled Banner to which
many a foot beat time as if it had
never stepped to any but the Emusic
OF the -Union"-and closed our con-
cert with Rally Round the Flay,
Boys" When the applause had sub
sided, a tall, fne-looklng fellow in a
men, if we'd had your songs we'd lick
ed you out of your boots! Who
couldn't have marched or fought with
such songs? While we had nothing,
absolutely nothing, except a bastard
'Marseillaise,' the 'Bonny Blue Flag
and "Dixie,' which were nothing but
jigs. .Maryland, my Maryland was
a splendid song. but the true,
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 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 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 singing. Tom B, who was.
with ME, sung out, Good heavens,
| Cap, what are these fellows made of,
anyway? Here we've licked 'em six
days running, and now on the eve OF
Vie seNeutll, Cney ~ Singing hally
Round the Flag" am not natural
ly superstitions, but I tell you that
song sounded to me like the 'knelI, Of
DOOM and my heart went down into
my boots; and though I've tried to do
my duty, it has been uphill fight
with me ever since that night"
| The little company OF Union singers
and Confederate auditors, after a
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 eStar-spangled Ban
ner' again" have not seen. him since.