Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-04-04
A NOTED ARMY SONG.
Circumstances Under Which "Sherman's
March to the Sea" Was Composed.

March to the Sea- Was Composed.
TWO UNION OFFICERS WROTE IT WHILE IN
PRIsox-wHKN IT WAS FIRST SUNG AND TEE
NOW IN WASHINGTON.
|nF THE HERO GENERALS OF THE WAR
Othose most endeared to the troops who fol-
lowed them were as remarkable for their sim
plicity and frankness as they we're distin-
guished for courage. decisiveness and determi-
nation Of purpose. All these, traits were emf
nent in Gen. Sherman. His fighting qualities
and his great ability as commander Of ire
mendous armies are too conspicuously q part
of the history of the great civil strife to dwell
in sketch like this upon what every history
taught school boy knows 1t is upon another
side Of his character known only to those who
Immediately shared with him the rigors and
hardships of the march and the campaign, as
well as the ardor Of battle and the glory Of VIC
tory, that 1t 10 most pleasing to look.
1t is the bon comraderie. the unfagging
cheerfulness that frightened all his purpose
and infused among those who marched with
him to the sea his own sanguine audacity and
indomitable determination. II was this that
brought him and his men close to each other
and made them ready and willing to do and
dare together.
sHERMAN's TERRIBLE EARNEsrNHss.
Terribly in earnest from the very beginning,
and realizing how long and arduous was to be
the struggle, it was not at all q Jest with him
when, entering upon the duties before him in
the first campaign, he declared it would take
200, 900 men to penetrate the enemy's country
in the way he afterward did, crushing the last
hope Of the confederacy When he made this
assertion he was laughed at. Newspapers said
he was crazy. This was when an army was or
ganizing at Louisville for the southwark move
ment. One day there the general, thinking over
over these things, took from his pocket cigar
and having no match he borrowed q fresh cigar,
just lighted, from zouave standing near. and,
tossing the privates cigar over his shoulder,
went on talking to fellow officer. The latter re-
reminded the general Of his inadvertence, when
ne laughed heartily, saying, did really do
that?" He often afterward referred to the in
cident az illustrative of how absorbed he was
in those days in what he had before him. Such
| as this, with his good humor and simplicity, it
was which gave him warm place in the affec-
tions OF his soldiers. who accompanied him
from the day he had saved from even more
shameful rout the fleeing army of Mcdowell at
the first battle Of Bull Run, through, the ter
rible two days at Shiloh, on through all the
campaigns through Georgia and the Carolinas,
until the triumphal march into Washington.
AT MISSIONARY RIDGE.
"Uncle Billy" he was to his veterans, and
they were ever ready to cheer him with enthu-
siastic shouts. A trained soldier, he did not
give his orders even on the most dramatic &C.
casions with anything like the magniloquent
style OF the autocrat army chieftains but often in
the naivest, simplest terms. 1t was at Mission
airy Ridge, at a crucial moment, pointing to o
hill bristtling with confederate artillery, he
said to Gen. Ewing and other prominent Off
GERS near him: Il see Davis coming up. You'd
hiatt TD~v, L.. = -
you. get within four hundred yards Of the
works.
Shall we keep up the formation after that?"
asked Gen. Ewing.
well, guess" replied Gen. Sherman,
you'd better 60 on and take that hill if you
cam"
That ended it. It was understood as a per-
emptory order The assault was made. the hill
taken and the tide of battle turned against the
confederate; Wrapped up as he was with the
he had to do the general was ever ready
and often made them. He loved music, as his
Partially for the stage since the war has proved
and AZ he showed often in camp life during tho
war.
A night or two after the storming Of Fort
McAllister, a sight of the sea having been ac-
complished by his resistless hosts. they were
encamped near Savannah, and the general ga:
at his tent door smoking and listening to the
playing of a band in the distance. He liked
the music and asked VIVA. was the piece and
directed an orderly to 20 to the band and order
the piece repeated. 1t was the old song, THE
Blue Juniata," with variations. 1t was re-
peated, other bands took it up and the soldiers
sang 1t often afterward as "Uncle Billy's favor
lte What wonder, too, that he should find
intense enjoyment in those famous songs,
Marching Through Georgia and "Sherman's
March to the Sea?''
TWO SONGS AND THEIR HIsroRIHs.
Both these songs have interesting histories.
That Of the first is familiar to most readers. The
second, "Shermans March to the Sea-" more
httingly describes the grand strategy which
broke the heart Of the confederacy.
This song was composed by Lieuts Byers and
Rockwell. while in prison at Columbia, Sc,
into the hapless city. The music as it first
came to the ears of the well-pleased general,
was sung at his request by E. o. Kimberly OF
Wisconsin. leader Of a brigade band third di-
vision, fifteenth army corps. Mr.. Kimberly was
one Of the first who enlisted in Wisconsin. He
started out as leader of the band of the third
Wisconsin infantry. volunteers
In Banks precipitate retreat before Stone
wall Jackson, in the Shenandoah valley. this
band was compelled to abandon instruments
and run for dear life. Soon after this, by
general order, regimental bands were dis
charged. Kimberly Immediately repaired to
his homo and there organized brigade band.
which soon became one Of the best in the
service, and was eventually assigned to the
first brigade, third division, fifteenth army
corps, Logan veteran corps. BY the fine per-
formances OF the band and their excellent de-
pertinent they soon became favorites with all
the army. They were often called upon to play
for their chief, Gen. Logan. Leader Kimberly.
who had good voice, was invariably asked to
sing, being always accompanied BY a fine yio-
linist of the band or the whole band in concert.
The fame Of the band and their leader soon
reached Gen. Shermans headquarters and
their music, both vocal and instrumental, was
soon in demand along the march to the sea and
through the Carolinas Whether wading rivers
or miry swamps or trudging on, saturated with
rain. music from this band to cheer the Door
tired fellows on the march when they bivouacked
for the nights rest was rarely called for in vain
Music had its charms for weary rank and file az
it had for the anxious leaders.
COMPOSED AND WRITTEN IN PRISON.
1t was on the 18th Of February, 1866, that the
army entered the capital Of the first secession
state Of the confederacy. Soon after the Union
troops arrived two lieutenants in blue were
with other soldiers of the federal army set free
from prisons in the city and Joined in the iu-
bilatiOns of their victorious comrades. The
heutenants we're Byers and Rockwell, who COM
posed while in prison the words and music of
''Sherman March to the Sea-"
They went directly to Gen. Sherman's head
quarters and placed in his hands the manu-
script of their song. On the night of February
20, just after the band had played tattoo and
were about to retire. an orderly went from
Sherman with the manuscript to kimberly. re.
questlng him to come at once to headouarters