Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-20

| ana the night cloud had lowered"
the men sank to rest almost where they stood.
Exhausted nature could endure no more Il
perchance they had themselves escaped the
| hery missiles all about them was destruction
| and death. DR.. Root, in 'Just After the Bat
tie" gives graphic description Of the scene.
Still upon the field Of battle
lam lying, mother dear,
With my wounded comrades waiting
For the morning to appear.
Many sleep to waken never,
In this world Of strife and death,
And many more are family calling
With their feeble dying breaths."
There were hundreds Of people who spoiled
reams Of nice white paper with pieces they
called National Odes" and Anthems" "Bat-
tie Hymns of the Republic" and ludicrously
pathetic drivel of various kinds The trash in
the song world, like drift in food, always
comes to the surface at such times. and like
driftwood most Of 1t piled up on the shore and
was buried in the sands Of oblivion. But very
few of these ''pieces" ever got outside OF the
music stores and of those that did, tho good
was speedily sifted from the bad. and that
worthy to live has become part and parcel Of
the history of the great conflict.
| soNG THAT THRILLED,
Much OF the music now known as "Wal
Songs" was not written until the war was al
most ended. Tho most popular writers Of
music at that period were DR.. George r Root
Chas. Carroll Sawyer and Henry C. Work, and
the most famous of the few great war songs
was DR.. Roots Battle Cry of Freedom" L.
was written in 1861 and sung first a. big rally
hald in, mic 81 s,,,x
the first call for Is, 600 men. It was sung by a
male quartet and took the loyal thrcng by
storm. 1t is said by those who were there that
the singing Of the lines:
1--WE are springing to the call your brothers
gone before,
Shouting the battle cry Of freedom,
And we'll fill the vacant ranks with million
freemer more,
Shouting the battle cry Of freedom.
We will welcome 10 our numbers the loyal true
and brave,
Shouting the battle cry OF freedom,
And although they may be poor, not man
shall be slave,
Shouting the battle cry Of freedom.
So we're springing to the call from the sas. and
from the west
Shouting the battle cry Of freedom,
And we'll huri the rebel crew from the land We
love the best,
Shouting the battle cry Of freedom"
caused a frenzied demonstration of patriotism
that was allied to insanity and utterly indie
scribable. The flowing rhythm of the melody
was catching, and before the third verse was
sung the words OF the chorus were written in
every heart there present, and a great volume
OF rich melody went up from the throats of the
multitude, as all Joined in singing the grand
rallying chorus. The song was from that mo-
ment enshrined in the heart of every man,
woman apd child in the north. The marching
columns carried it south and it became the one
great song of the northern armies, John
Brown" only disputing its supremacy. OF
this nondescript fatherless song Mr.. r T.
Dana, jr., once wrote: 1T would have been
past belief had we been told that the almost
undistingufshable name Of John Brown should
be whispered among four million of slaves
and sung wherever the English language is
spoken and incorporated into an anthem to
whose solemn cadences men would march to
battle by tens of thousands"
1t is to be regretted that so few Of the better
class of verse writer's devoted their talent TO
the production of the songs Of the war period
But, poor as tho poetry usually was, If it had
but a line or two which touched a responsive
chord in aching hearts it became popular at
once. and tho airs being simple were easily
learned. Very soon everybody in the north
who was not too busy reading, writing or ask
ing questions about the war. was singing about
u or playing variations on the popular melo-
dies, which even the bootblacks in the streets
were whistling.
TOO BUSY TO sISo.
The war songs sung in the north we're legion.
few and not many of those were generally
ha olo 90 xba
were too busy lodging bullets and returning
guerrilla fire to attend "singing school" The
high falsetto of rebA mimic balls as they came
screeching through the air was much more
familiar to them than the 'Star Spangled
Banner" or America" though they in time
learned those, too.
1t was in the north that most Of the songs
were made" The cities became vast recruit
ing stations, where congregated the gallant
boys of all ages and from every section of the
country. Mighty mass meetings were held
nightly to discuss the great problem of the
war and to arouse the spirit of patriotism in
the hearts Of the people. Glee clubs, brass
bands and drum corps wed with each other in
entertaining the loyal audiences, and the effect
that these songs had upon the people were
practical tests upon their popularity and Ion
gevity OF life Company after company, regi-
ment after regiment was formed, and as the
brave boys marched away the newborn songs
greeted them on every side Tuneful tongues
and retentive minds carried these songs
south. And how the ''old" boys love to hear
them today.
''They hear the bugle pealing forth its brazen
notes,
They listen to the rolling Of the drums,
The sounding call to arms, the battle clash and
din,
Like mocking echoes with the songs they
come.
The fire is burning low, tho sentry lonely
treads
With slow and measured step his weary
round
All these he seems to see - he listens TO those
songs,
Those songs they sang upon the old camp
ground"
WORDS THAT SUGGESTED soNA
'Wrap the flag around me, boys" cried .
young soldier who fell MORALLY wounded at
Fort Donslson on February ~ 1854 His lass