The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1890-08-26
A FAMOUS SONG.
"John Browns Body Lies a-Eoldsrins N
the Grave"
Eov the Old War Hymn Came int Exist
ence, and Still "Goes Marching oa"-Eov
it Was Set to Music.

II WAY c6t "
On the 17thof April 1851, I became
member OF the Second Battalion OF
Infantry, Massachusetts militia or
ganization of some local repute,, with
headquarters at old Boyistoa Hall,
Boston, writes George Klmball in the
New England Magazine. The battal-
ion comprised four companies, COM
manded by Major Ralph Newtou. We
had many good singers among as. and
during our long evenings in quarters,
we sang almost constantly.
Religious hymns were as popular
with US as secular songs. Among. the
former none gave greater satisfaction
than hymn, at that tine great
favorite in revival meetings, entitled
l..Say, Brothers, Will You Meet Us3"
! How the music OF ..Say, Brothers,
will You jdeet Us?" was made to do
duty in tle building up Of the "John
Brown Song' will appear In what fol-
lows.
! We had a iovial Scotchman in the
battalion named John Brown, and az
be happened to bear the Identical
name Of the old hero of Harper Fer
h.y, he became at once the butt OF his
comrades. II he made mis- appearances
"a few minutes Late among the working
IND in, fa1
Into the company line, he was greeted
with such expressions as Come, old
fellow you ought to be at it if you
are going to help US free the slaves;
or, This can't be John Brovn-Why,
John Brown is dead. Aud then some
.,wag would add, in a solemn, drawing
tone, as if it were his purpose TO give
particular emphasis to the fact that
John Brewn was really, actually dead:
ttYes, yes, poor old john Brown is
dead; his body lies mouldering IN ths
grave" @e-s
This nonsense was kept up from
day to day, and these expresxAls,
particularly the ones referring to the
,defunct condition OF Brown. were SO
often heard that they became by-
words among US. They were usually
followed by exclamations OF feigned
surprise, such as; '.Is that SOP" Fin
ally ditties composed Of the most nom
!sensical doggerel rhymes, setting
forth the fact that John Brown waa
dead and that his body was undergoing
the process of dissolution. began to ba
sung to the music of the hymn above
given. These ditties underwent yari-
Ious ramifcations until eventually the
lines were reached:
John Browns body lies a-moldering in thu
grave, .zss.s-g-
His souls marching on. y. :.
And ss,s-sscs- s---
He's gone to be a soldier in the army otsha-
Lord, -ss,.
His souls marching on.
The song, or rather this small oe-
ginning, became at once immensely
popular. There was just a. favor oi
coarseness, possibly OF irreyerenca
about it slightly Objectionable to the
more fastidious Tigers" and Major
Newton and others made combiaed
effort to have the wording changed,
but their endeavor fell through.
Others thought that the song should
commemorate some distinguished sol.
dier OF the war, and "Ellsworth's
body" was suggested. But this effort
also failed. Nothing would answer
but John Browns body"
Greenleaf was musician, the organ.
list of a church in Charlestown.,. Ha
therefore naturally hid most to dc
with the earliest arrangement of the
notes of the song. C. S. Hall Of
:Charlestown, also became interested ID
the production, and together they wen,
to work to see what could be made Of
lit, for it was becoming so popular that
something had to be done. Another
I,entleman, C. B. Marsh, was taken
Into their confidence, and the result
was the composition OF additional
verses, and the song, as thus con.
structed, was printed upon common
printing paper and sold on the streets
of Boston as a penny ballad in the
latter part of May aud in. June and
July, 1861. This copy, the first issued.
was made from an original in the pos
session of Mr. Abram E. Cutter OF
Charlestown and kindly loaaed by
him, and bore the imprint: Pub
!ished at 256 Main St, Charlestown,
Mass"
Po0r Brown. the victim Of thoss
practical jokes and guys that, coupled
with the remembrance OF the martyr.
dom OF his heroic namesake, gave
birth to the idea from which the song
sprang, found watery grave in the
Shenandoah river. at Front Royat
Va, on the 7th of June; 1862, while
serving in the same company with the
writer-Company A, Twelfth Massa.
chusetts Volunteers.
Measurement Of 6reat lakes. 81