The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-04
"JOHN BROWNS BODY"
How the Historic Song Came to Be
Written.

EIIOrtS Dy veterans OF the great civil
war to discover the authors of John
Browns Body" from the ash heap Of
time have brought to light the history
of the stirring song.
A man in Oshkosh is able to tell the
| story, for he was one of the Original
quartette that sang it over forty years
ago, and he assisted in the evolution of
the song. This modest veteran of the
rebellion, who was one of the men who
made the memorable escape from the
! tunnel at Libby prison, is James
Howard Jenkins, president of the Ger
man National bank of Oshkosh.
This is how Mr.. Jenkins tells of the
birth of the song: In the early spring
of 1861 the Boston light infantry, a bat
talon of three companies, under COM
lmand of Major Rogers, of the Boston
Journal, was sent to Fort Warren, in
Boston harbor for drill and garrison
duty. This battalion was made up
largely of the better class of city boys
and was to Boston what the Seventh
regiment was to New York.
When the demand for troops became
pressing the battalion offered its serv-
ices, which, however, could not be ac~
cepted, save as it could be Incorporated
in one of the regiments then forming
Accordingly the battalion disbandea
to enlist in the Twelfth and Thirteenth
regiments. The Twelfth was completed
first and was sent to Fort Warren for
organization and drill.
/
| lent singers. One of the male uuarters
was composed of four sergants-Jen-
kins, Brown, Edgerley and Eldredge-
who were continually on the lookout for
a good marching melody upon which to
construct regimental war song. From
some Unknown quarter came a verse:
John Browns body lies a-moldering in
the grave;
\ His soul is marching on.
Glory, glory. hallelujahl'
In searching for a fitting tune they
adapted an old camp meeting melody
sung by the colored Methodists at the
Martha's Vineyard camp meetings to
the words:
Come. brothers. will you meet us?"
The song took at once and the SIM
plicity of the chorus, with its swing
and lilt made it at once popular. The
verses that followed were improvised
from time to time. The death of Col
Ellsworth. which occurred at that time,
occasioned the verse:
I'VE lament the death of Colonel ELS
worth.
And his pets CHS Zouaves) will meet
him on the way
The second tenor of the quartet was a
/
named John Brown. When he put on
his knapsack for the first time, with
his red-lined overcoat rolled on its top,
he looked so topheavy that the boys
laughed at him. But. quick-witted and
good mat ured, he retorted by marching
up and down, singing:
John Browns knapsack is strapped
upon his back"
| 70 I;-+
of verses. Wen hang jeff Davis to a
sour apple tree" was the natural eX-
preston of rampant Massachusetts
man.
On Saturday afternoons Gilmore's
band came to the fort to play at dress
parade, and large numbers of visitors
were also present. One Saturday the
quartet went with Gilmore into one of
the classmates and sang the song 10 MN,
he following with his cornet till he had
fixed the air in his memory On his re-
turn to Boston he had it arranged for
his band. The following Saturday it
was played for the first time IN front
of the Twelfth Massachusetts volunteer
infantry at dress parade at Fort War
rem. Boston harbor.
On it's way to the front the regiment
passed through New York and dined on
City Hall square When the line was
formed to march down Broadway to the
ferry the band struck up John Brown,
and the regiment sang 1t to the cheers
and shouting and excitement OF the
thousands that lined the street. While
the song became a national one, yet the
Twelfth Massachusetts was always
known in its department as the hal
lelujah regiment"
OF the original duartette John Brown
was drowned while crossing a swollen
stream near Fort Royal Eldredge died
some years ago. Edgerley at last &C
counts was living in Boston. The
fourth member of the quartette, ]. Fl.
Jenkins has lived in Oshkosh ince 1863
and has presented the foregoing as what
he conceives to be the correct version
of the origin of the most famous OF the
northern battle songs Of the civil war
Chicago Tribune.