Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1889-12-08

The Inspiration Under Which 1t Was
Written by Mrs. Julia Ward Howe.
EDS. SUNDAY UNION The announcement
made recently in your columns, that Mrs.
Julia Ward Howe would lecture in this
city on Monday evening next, revives in a
vivid manner the memory of the influence
exerted by this lady during the civil war
in a way unexpected and unprecedented
by herself. In the glow and fervor of a
righteous passion forces are sometimes
shaped that go out and go on as inspira-
tons, with life of their own. Such a
force was Mrs. Howe's Battle Hymn Of
the Republic" The history of the origin
of this hymn, as we'll as its history after its
creation, is curious. Although this history
| has been printed before, its reproduction at
| this time, with Mrs. Howe's visit just be-
| fore u.s. may not be without interest. Mro
Howe's own account of it is substan-
TALLY as follows: In December, 1861, with
some friends. she visited Washington. AS
the train sped on in the darkness, the camp
| fires blazed out here and there wildly
along the line.
AT the hotel in Washington "the gallop
of horsemsn, the tramp of foot soldiers,
the noise OF drum, fife and bugle were
heard continually" At that time all talk
was of the army. Preaching and prayer
all revolved about the war.
Then one day with friends she went out
several miles to review, which turned
into a battle under sudden attack OF the
enemy. On the way back to the city the
| road was so blocked by returning soldiers
| that the vehicle in which she rode could
move but slowly. To beguile the time she
sang the war songs of the day, among
which the "John Brown song was IA
yorite. The soldiers took up the strain,
| and the air rang all the way with the wild
| music of the camp. That night she slept
as usual, but toward dawn the next morn
| ing she awoke and soon found her mind
| busv weaving together lines that could be
sung to the "John Brown" music. "
| Law still" she says, sin the dark room, line
after line shaping itself in my mind, and
verse after verse. When had thought out
the last of these | sprang out OF bed and
CROPPED about in the dim twilight to find 8
bit of paper and the stub of pen, which !
remember to have had the evening before,
and began to write out the lines of my
poem"
The song was quickly caught up by sol.
diers in military prisons at the South and
in the Union camps, and moved like q
wave of inspiration across the country.
" Forlorn hopes under its inspiring
strains, were led through desperate en-
counters to victory Since the war Mrs
Howe has been greeted by its bugle notes
not only in many Northern town where
she has spoken, but as well in the fan
South, where "sll memories of unkind-
ness have died away" and also in European
cities.
| fhn arllf NJ
many wears. She is a woman of strong
presence, commanding her audience by 8
regal intellectual bearing difficultto analyze
Though now touching the summit Of
human years, her keenness and vigor fully
Justify the eloquent words by which sht
was recently introduced to San francisco
audience as "a lady three score and ter
years young" HISTORY.
BATTLE HYAS OF THE REPUBLIC.
Mine eyes have seen the glory OF the coming o
| the Lord,
He is trampling out the vintage where tn
grapes of wrath are stored,
He hath ioosed the fateful lightning of HI
terrible swift sword:
His truth is marching on.
have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundre'
circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar IN the eVenln
dews and damps,
can read His righteous sentence by the oiI
} and faring lamps;
His day is marching on.
1 have read q fiery gospel writ on burnside
rows of steel
J Gas We deal with Ny contemners, so with 20
Ny grace shall deal;
Let the Hero, born Of woman, crush the serper
with his heel,
Since God is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that sha
|, never call retreat,
He is sitting out the hearts of men before b
: o be swift, my soul, to answer Him be iubilaI
4 my feet
In the beauty of the lilies Christ was born aero
= the sea,
With glory in His bosom thattransfgures yc
5 As He died 10 make men holy, let US die to NAL
men free