Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1889-08-01
John BROWNS BODY"
The Origin and Growth of the Famous
"Folk-Song" of the Civil War.

In the song John Browns Body"
we have an example of melody and
set of words which seem never to
have been written or composed by
anybody. 1t is genuine "folk-song,"
growing out of a widespread senti-
ment, as many old folk-songs have
done, which far more closely respond
to the musical wants of the common
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 understand its begin
ings and development in way which
is impossible with older songs.
The tune of John Browns Body"
had its origin before the words that
are now known orremembered in con-
nection 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" happen
ing to be at camp-meeting in a small
town in New Hampshire, heard the
song sung to religious words, and
remembered the air. The name of
one of these men was Purington, and
of the other John Brown.
Not not long after this the war
broke out, and the Tigers" were
made a part of the Twelfth Massa-
chusetts Regiment of Volunteers, which
rendezvoused at Fort Warren, in Bos-
ton Harbor. Here the two men al
ready named, Purington and Brown,
formed with two others, named Edger-
ly and Greenleaf, a quartette, and the
guartette sang, among its other songs,
all sorts of words of their own "get-
ting up" to this tune.
John Brown was good-natured
Scotchman, and the members of the
quartette say they sang John Brown
this and John Brown that" to the tune,
unit, by an almost unconscious change,
the hero of them was changed from
John Brown, of the "Tigers," to John
Brown, of Harpers Ferry, and the
grand and simple verse came into eX-
istence:
John Browns Body lies mouldering in the
ground,
But his soul is marching on"
Before this time the masses of the
North had not been in exact sympa-
thy with the purposes of John Brown,
but the excitement of the early days
of the war called out a sentiment
which these words exactly fitted.
Whenever the soldier quartette were
in Boston they were called upon to
sing this song. The Twelfth Regi-
ment took it up. Samuel c. Perkins,
of Brockton, member of Maitland's s
Band, which was stationed with the
Regiment at Fort Warren, wrote down
the air while 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 regi-
ment, 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 ar ana joined IN the chofuS,
Glory, glory, halelujah,
His soul is marching on.
Soon after the regiment sang it in
marching through New York on the
way to Baltimore, with the same ef-
feet. 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 be-
ginning:
"Mine.eyes have seen the glory of the coming
of the Lord"
which was called THE Battle Hymn
of the Republic" which soon became
immensely popular, put never sup
planted 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 regl-
ment with whom it had its use as
popular song. Youths Companion.