Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1889-03-22
Story Of the origin Of he Most ropuisr
or All War SANE

story 81 the Origin OF he Most rouufax
81 Ali War Songs
In the song John Browns BODY |
we have an example OF melody and d |
set OF words which seem never to have
been written or composed by any body.
It is a genuine ''fo!k-song," growing
Out Of widespread sentiment, as
many old folk-songs have done, which
lar more closely respond to the music
al wants OF the common people than
any carefully-preparcd and cieverly-
composed song could be. In the case
OF this song, however, it's recent origin
and almost instant growth into COM
mon use give as an opportunity to
trace its beginnings and development
Ia way which is impossible with
older songs.
The tune Of John Browns Body
mad its origin before the words that
are now known or remembered in con-
nection with 1t. II was sung before
the war Of the rebellion, as long ago, al
least, rs 1856. to words which do not
now remain in use, at certain New En-
gland camp-meetings and revival sery-
ices.
Two members Of the Boston militia
company, called the Tigers" hap
penIng TO be at a camp-meeting in q
small town in New Hampshire, heard
the song sung to religious words. and
remembered the air. The name Of one
OF these men was burlington and OF the
other John Brown.
Notalong after this tho war broks
| out, and the Tigers" were made a
part Of the Twelfth Massachusetts
Regiment of Volunteers, which rendez-
voused at Fort Warren, in Boston har-
Dor. Here the two men already named,
Purington and Brown, formed, with
two others, named Edgerly and Green
leaf, a quartette, and the quartette
sang, among its other songs, all sorts
OF words of their own getting up to
| this tune.
John Brown was a good-natured
Scotchman, and the members of the
quartette say they sang John Brown
this and John Brown that to the tune.
until, by an almost 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 ex-
| istence:
John Browns body lies a-moulderIng in the
ground,
But his soul is marching on.
Before this time the masses OF the
North had not been in exact sympathy
with the purposes of John Brown. but
the excitement of the early days OF
the war called out sentiment which
these words exactly fitted. Whenever
the soldier quartette were in Boston
they were called upon to sing this
song. The Twelfth regiment took il
up. Samuel C. Perkins, of Brockton,
q member OF Maitland's Band, which
was stationed with the regiment al
Fort Warren, wrote down the air while
a soldier whistled it. Then the band
played it every day.
When Edward Everett formally pre-
scented 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 VI
State street in June, 1861, and the sol
J diers sang it as they marched along
The crowd along the sidewalk took VI
the air and joined in the chorus:
; GLORY. glory. haIleluiah.
, His soul is marching onl'
, Soon after the regiment sang it il
marching through New York on tn,
way to Baltimore, with the same effect
1t spread at once through the arm,
, and throughout the country, and be
i came the anthem of the Union.
, In December. 1861, Mrs. Julia Ware
I Howe wrote for the air the words be
r ginning:
! Mine eyes have seen the glory OF the coming c
the Lord,
, which was called THE Battle Hymn
of the Republic, which soon becan
immensely popular, but never SUI
! planted in common use the old simpl
words.
. This is the story of the origin {
John Browns Body" as told by tn
: members of the band and the regimen
with whom it had its use as popula
song-YOuth's Cnmpanion