The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1895-08-10

| verses that thousands sing and VIII sing
for years limited perhaps TO the genera
tion that produced them, but perhaps
lasting for a century, and maybe even for
"all timenl The songs Of a nation are
rarely the work OF great poets, and are
rarely inspired except by great national
convulsions. Great events set about
everybody with a soul to work a-writ-
ing and usually the writing takes the
form OF song or verse. and from all Of 1t
springs good deal that lives. a good
while. Thousands OF verses were pro-
duced during the Rebellion, and some
OF them are today the songs OF the
nation, as they were when thousands OF
tramping troops awaked the echoes with
the singing OF them, and they were
whistled and sung, and played on all
sorts OF instruments all over the land.
1t is not unlikely that some OF them may
live as long as the two or three songs
that pass for national hymns.
The late GEORGE +. RooT was a writer
OF some OF these more permanent pieces,
and the famous HUTCHINSON family used
to introduce them with great success
during the war days The sheet music
OF them could be fonnd in every house
hold where there was a piano. RooT,
who must have been most likable man,
as well as fine patriot, wrote the
"Battle Cry OF Freedom:
Yes, Wen rally round tho flag. boys,
Well rally once again
Shouting the battle CRY OF freedom.
We will rally from the hillside,
We will rally from the plain,
Shouting the battle cry Of freedom.
CHORUS.
The Union foreverl Hurrah, boys. hurrahi
Down with the traitors, mp with the stars.
While we rally round the flag, boys.
Rally once again.
Shouting tho battle cry OF freedom.
What ring that has to It'll 1t makes
"My Country tits OF Thee" sound very
much like an ordinary 'psarm tewn,"
by comparis on. The song is lasting
one, for though ii was written at a time
OF sectional strife, the thought OF the
strife is not necessary TO its sense any
more than 1t is necessary to connect the
particular episode commemorated with
the "Star Spangled Banner
Then there was "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp,
the Boys are Marching" another of Mr..
RooT's songs
In the prison cell sit,
Thinking, mother. dear. of you.
And our bright and happy home SO far away,
And the tears they MI my eyes,
Spite Of all that ] can do.
Lho1sh try TO cheer my comrades and be
gay
r-rrnr Tramp. tramp. the boys are marching;
Ciear u. comrades. they win come.
An1 hsa@asA ths starry flag
We sh4l breathe the air again
O. tkS sres IAnd in our own beloved home.
rather too much on the pathetic line to
be really inspiring, though the chorus
made grand marching song. "Just
Before the Battle, Mother" was another
that had more wsepful sentiment than
resonant ring to it:
just before the battle mother,
am thinking most Of you.
While upon the field wore watching
with the enemy in view,
Comrades brave around me lying,
Filled with thoughts Of home and God
For well they know that on the morrow
Some viii sleep beneath the sod.
CHORUS.
Farewell, mother, you may never
Press me to your heart again.
oh. you'll not forget me mother.
II I'm numbered with the slain.
we can imagine how the boys in camp
would get together and sing a song like
this under the moon and over their pipes!
GEORGE F. Roor's name may be for
gotten, as, indeed, a good many OF us,
who could whistle the music he wrote,
did not know the name OF the author.
But we wouldn't care much about name or
fame, or anything else, IL we could have
the satisfaction Of contributing so much
to the inspiration OF heroism, and touch
ing so many thousands of hearts with a
sympathy that can bring tears even
today, as did Mr., Roor by the simple
words and the simple music that he
wrote lie did lot OF good in this
world.
ACCORDING to our estimable Prohibition
contemporary, The Westerly Tribune, "a
sample OF whiskey analyzed by Topeka
chemist contained water, cayenne pepper,
fusil oil, tobacco stem Juice, blue vitriol,
fish berries, logwood ana burnt sugar,
but not the least trace of alcohoI - II the