Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1889-02-28
JOHN BROWNS BODY"

Youths Companion.
In the song, John Browns Body" we
have an example of a melody and aset of
words which seem never to have been
written or composed by anybody. 1t is
genuine " folk-song," growing out of a
widespread sentiment, as many old folk
songs have done, which far more closely
respond to the musical wants of the com
mon people than any carefully prepared
and cleverly composed song could be. In
the case of this song, however, its recent
origin and almost instant growth into
common use give us an opportunity to
trace its beginnings and development in
way which impossible with older
songs.
The tune of John Browns Body" had
its origin before the words that are now
known or remembered in connection with
it. 1t was sung before the War of the
Rebellion, as long ago, at least, as 1856, to
words which do not now remain in use,
at certain New England camp-meetings
and revival services.
Two members of the Boston militia
company called the Tigers" happening
to be at camp-meeting in small town
in New Hampshire, heard the song sung to
religious words, and remembered the air.
The name of one of these men was Pur-
ingtOn. and the other John Brown.
Not long after this the war broke out,
and the "TigerS" were made part of
the Twelfth Massachusetts Regiment of
Volunteers, which rendezvoused at Fort
Warren, in Boston HarbOr Here the
two men already named, Purington and
Brown, formed, with two others, named
Edgerly and Greenleaf, quartette, and
the quartette sang among its other songs,
all sorts of words of their own getting
up" to this tune.
John Brown was goOd-natured Scotch
man, and members of the Quartette say
they sang "John Brown this and John
Brown that to the tune, until, by an al
most unconscious change, the hero of
them was changed from John Brown, of
the "Tigers," to John Brown, of Harper's
Ferry, and the grand and simple verse
came into existence:
John Browns body lies a-mouldering in the
ground
But his soul is marching on
Before this time masses of the North
had not been in exact sympathy with the
purposes of John Brown, but the excite
ment of the early days of the war called
out sentiment these words exactly fitted.
Whenever the soldier quartette were in
Boston they were called upon to sing this
song. The Twelfth Regiment took it up.
Samuel C. Perkins. of Brockton, a mem
Der of Maitland's Band, which was sta
toned with the regiment at Fort Warren,
wrote down the air while a soldier
Whistled it. Then the band played it
every day.
When Edward Everett formally pre-
sented the set of colors of the Twelfth
Regiment on Boston Common, the speech
of acceptance being made by Colonel
Fletcher Webster of the regiment, the
tune was played, and the multitude fairly
went wild over it. The band played the
tune going up State street in June, 1861,
and the soldiers sang it as they marched
along. The crowd along the sidewalk
took up the air and joined in the chorus.
"GIOry, glory, haIlelujah,
His soul is marching On!'
Soon after, the regiment sang it in
marching through New York On the way
to Baltimore, with the same effect. 1t
spread at once through the army and
throughout the country, and became the
anthem of the Union.
In December, 1861, Mrs. Julia Ward
Howe wrote for the air the words begin
ming,
''NIine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of
the Lord"
which was called the Battle Hymn of
the Republic" which soon became i'm
mensely popular, but never supplanted
in common use the old simple words.
This is the story of the origin of John
Browns Body" as told by the members
of the band and the regiment with whom
it had its use as popular song.