The Republican journal., 1888-02-16
The Songs Of the War.

humanity, as the music and words of the So
called "War Songs" which have been sung
from Maine to California for the last twenty
five years. In the palaces of the rich, in our
great cities, in the novels of the poor, in the
comfortable homes of the middle classes, in
the lonely farmhouses, on our rocky hills, and in
the far away camps of the western mines,
these stirring old songs have reverberated
among the rocks and canons. No war was
ever fought before, that created such strong
emotions in the human breast as our great re-
belion, and the surging, rushing tumut of
feeling in the heart of genius found its vent in
poetry and song. Names hitherto unknown,
to the world, were then inscribed on the book
of fame. and many of our older poets already
famous added new laurels to their i!Iustrious
brows. Opportunity was theirs, and they
could no more stay the burning and icry flood
Of word and song, than we can stay the pro-
leaps and tears along its rugged. rocky bed.
and finds its way to the open Let us
thank God to-day for the spirit which animat-
ed the breast of genius twenty-five years ago;
for with such songs TO cheer the lonely camp
fire and the dreary march, how could our brave
soldiers help being sustained and upheld: Pro-
badly none of us, away down deep in our
hearts. doubt the higher power that aided and
guided our army to the accomplishment Of their
high results but we do not all try to anayZc
the mysterious way in which that power was
revealed. While our men marched. fought.
suffered. and died. the great heart of the North
pulsed in sympathy with every groan and the
prayers. the practical help, the fiery tide of clo-
qnence that fell from lips now cold and mite.
and above all else the dear songs, written in a
perfect ecstasy of inspiration, cheered and up
held men and officers in their weary struggle
with traitors. ''God moves in mysterious
way. his wonders to PERFORM and the influence
of poetry and Son-. in the great issue. will pro
badly never be fully understood or apprcciat-
ed.
Almost before the first gun was fired, came
the stirring song of John Browns body" etc.
which has been sung now by three generations.
In the first issue of this song. no such verse as
"Wel hang Jetf Davis to Il sour apple tree"
occurs. that was probably 4 happy after thought
as it may, that verse is sung with more rcIsn
even to the present day. than all the others put
together. From the peculiar meter of the
words, additions and parodie> have been easy
and numerous, but nothing has ever been writ
ten to be sung to the air of John Brown. which
will bear any comparison with the Battle
Hymn of the Repubic,' by Julia Warl Howe.
Here is an evidence of the burning torrent
which could not he stemmed. had any one had
the disposition. Nothn. intense. was writ
ten during the war, and had the words been
literally. as they We're tiguratively. written in
letters of blood, they could not be more start
ling in their truth and carne~tncs>. Will YOU
pardon me. if give it here rerbatim:
''Mme eyes have seen the glory of the comius
of the Lord;
He is tramping out the vintage where the
grapes of wrath are >tored
He hath loo>ed the fatcful lightning Of hi>
terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on
II have seen him in the watch fires of a hum
dred circng camps.
They have buided him an altar in the evening
dews and damp>,
can read his righteous sentence by the dim
His day is marching on.
Il have read a fiery gospel, writ in burni>he
rows of steel.
AS We deal with my contcnncrs, 50 with YOU
my grace shall deal
Let the Hero born of woman. crush the SER
pent with his heel
Since God is marching OIL.
"IIc has sounded forth the trumpet which Shall
never call retreat.
He is sitting out the hearts of mcn bcforo;iIis
Judgment seat,
Oh be swift my soul to answer Him. be iiibi-
liant, my feet
Our God is marching on.
SIN the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born
With a glory in his bosom that tran~iigureS
you and me,
As he died to make men holy. Let u> die to
make men free,
While God is marching on"
1t is but Il step from such stirring and impass-
ioned words as these to the mournful air and
words of ''Tenting on the Old Camp Ground"
When kittredgc wrote that song in '63. every
thing must have looked dark and gloomy. and
the air is fully as sorrowful as are the words.
Among the most touching, and for that reason
the most popular songs of that time was the
one entitled ''JuSt before the battle, mother"
How often was that sung, at home and in
camp, with tears in the eyes, the voice. and the
heart, and many patient mothers heart throb-
bed in anguished pain as she listened to the sad
and sweet refrain
''Farewell. mother, You may never
Press me to your heart again,
But oh you'll not forget me. mother.
If I'm numbered with the slain.
There We're many written Of still more ten
der nature, the one most commonly sun. being
entitled .Wh.n this cruel war is over" and
beginning, dearest love 40 Won remember"
Probably those who sent their vOun" loves to
the front had a keen and realizing sense of th,
significance of that old song.
Nothing was written that was 50 in>piriling
to the boys in blue. as the BATTLE cry of Free
dom" can we'll imagine how that SONG could
cheer their sinking spirits, when they were on
the verge OF despair. Not only the air. but the
words. We're calculated to ill the fante> hearts
with new courage and hope, and give newer
and more sacred meaning to the GOOD old cause
for which they We're igh ing.
''Wc are >pringng to the call Of our brothers
gone before.
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom.
And We'll fill the vacant ranks with Il million
freemen more
Shouting the battle cry of Freedom'
And then the verse, where occurs: "Anh al
though he may be poor he shall never be Il
slave" Who could have an equal right TO sing
that with the men who had made freedom Dos
>ibe for four millions of human beings: The
dialect negro songs 10y Henry G. Work. were
also catching" and pleasing. OF course. they
did not sound the depth of noe. nor rise to the
heights of inspirations, as did the higher pro
ductions. but they served their part in the
great plan that was fores hatlowed from the first
gun that was fired, namely the emancipation of
the slaves. And "kngiom Coming." Baby
Ion is Fallen" "Od Shady and several others
should be preserved and cherished for the
good they have done. One other | wish to
speak of, which | do not see in any collection
of war songs, "Nicodemus the Slave" This
was also written by Mr. Work. The song was
too long, and the music too slow to attain the
popularity of the more lively ones, but never
theless it was good, and the work possessed
more significance than any of the other negro
songs. The story briefly told is this: Nicode-
mus was an African by birth, and died many
years ago. He eXerciseda peculiar power over
other slaves, and had long prophcsed their
freedom. When he died, he requested them to
l. AI.-