Evening capital journal. (Salem, Or.) 1888-1893, 1891-06-16
aAoLp rne foRr.g
The War Incident That Suggested the
Popular Hymn 60 =. r. Bliss.

1
Popular Hymn 70 p. p. Bliss.
Your letter of inquiry as to the origin
OF the hymn Hold the Fort" was duly
received. The following newspaper
clipping contains the facts In regard to
the matter so far as have been able
to ascertain them:
when Sherman was holding At
lanta and stripping his army for his IA
nous march to the sea, Hoods army
was suddenly thrown on Altoona pass
which was defended by fort com
manded by General Corse. The posi-
tion was nearly fifty miles from the
headquarters of Sherman, and its vital
Importance was known in both armies
and to its gallant commander
when the enemy General John
ston) approached, General Corse made
up bis mind that the position must be
held at all costs, and he told the men
that there would be no retreat nor sur
render. Kenesaw mountain overlooked
the pass, and on the summit was a sig
nal station, and after General Corse had
sent a message informing Sherman of
the attack and his purpose of making
desperate defense, he addressed him
self to the work at hand with vigor
which will always be the theme of song
and story
'The attack began early In the
morning, and the heavy masses Of the
Confederate troops were pushed with
great determination close up to the
works, and at one time entered a small
redoubt. but were driven back at every
assault. About 10 o'clock at night, as
one who was there well remembers,
the signal station flag gave message
which was not clearly distinguished |
because of the heavy smoke which |
hung over our lines, but in a few mo-
ments the assault slackened a little,
and as the smoke blew away the mes
sage was read, Hold the fort; we
are coming. The message was re-
peated to all the regimental command
ars, and was read in every battery, and
It was received everywhere with great
cheers.
ut was the only message received
that day, but Sherman ordered it re-
Deated from time to time during the
lay, and whenever the immediate duty
would permit or the smoke would al
ow the flag to be seen, every eye was
urned to the white flag, with its Grim
on square standing out boldly in relief
against the clear sky, and it always
aid. Hold the fort; we are coming
''It was from this event that the bur
len Of Sankey's religious song was
AIKEN. which has been sung In all
-reat religious meetings wherever the
English language is spoken General
Jorse got a severe wound, and the
osses in his command were heavy, but
n the afternoon the assault was dis
continued
Five years after the close of the war
Major d. W. Whittle made use of this
Incident in an address delivered before
/ Sunday school convention in Illinois.
Bliss was leading the singing The re-
alton of the story and the manner in
which it was used by the speaker made
/ deep impression upon Mr. Bliss, who
It once composed the words of the
amous song, and on returning to his '
home in Chicago wrote out the music,
nd a short time afterward it was pub q
shed and given to the world. This n
,as in May, 1870. A few weeks before +
le death of Mr. Bliss, in talking with
i'm about his popular songs, he re- A.
arked to me that he hoped that he D
as not TO be remembered in the future :
lly as the author of Hold the Fort"
he thought that he had written =
any songs much better than that one. D.
Ira d. Sankey in Christian Union. 9,