The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1903-02-03
YOUNG Men
Should Post Themselves on
Our Civil War
Before Writing for the Public.

We clip the following from an ex-
change, and we republish it to illus
trate a point.
1t is a subject of frequent remark |
that the young men and young women |
of today are, many of them, ignorant |
of even the most important events of |
our civil war. which was the greatest |
war the world has ever known; while |
with its history every intelligent
young man and woman should be
conversant. Yet we have had au-
thentic information showing that
even school teachers speak of JEFF
Davis as a soldier of the Revolution
airy war, say he was hanged by the
negroes of the South, etc, etc.
Teachers, we are tod, are much
better informed about the Revolu-
tionary war and foreign wars than
they are concerning our civil war.
| We were not, therefore, surprised
to read the following in an exchange
about singing in the armies of other
nations, nor surprised at the sugges-
tion that s1ch training would be a
good thing in our army. The ex-
chauge says:
During the Boxer outbreak in
IChjna, when the allied troops were
marching up from Tientsin to the re-
lief of Pekin, the German and Rus
sian soldiers sang as they marched.
To the American newspaper men and,
indeed. to many of the officers of the
United States army this was a new
phase of military life. The ranks of
men swinging along to the stirring
measi res of tn ir national airs, or
other patriotic songs or hymns, made
an impression not easily forgotten.
The American generals who attended
the German army maneuvers last
, fall commented on the singing of the
soldiers. AS the regiments of big,
bearded Germans marched past them
in the night, keeping time to "Die
Wacht am Rhein," the Americans
felt that here was more than casual
manifestation of the spirit of a mu-
sical people. 1t was something deep
er; something which makes for love
of country and stronger national
r spirit. With these incidents in mind
: it is interesting to notice that the
A adjutant general of the United States
: army in his latest report suggests a
similar practice for American SOL
e diers. Let each regiment have its
own song, he says, and let the en-.
together evenings and devote part
of their spare time to the practice
of vocal music. To some extent thi:
has already been done by the marine
e corps, and a general extension of the
Icustom would, it is believed, both in
Iterest the soldiers and keep then
Ifrom the evil resorts with which oul
Iarmy posts are too often surrounded
e Quite in keeping with this suggestion
II is the work of a board of officers a
. West Point now engaged in com
piling a collection of songs relating
: to the army, the navy and the ma
:, rine corps. 1t is the intention to pub
II lish some day in a volume the word
= and airs of all the songs worth pre-
serving which relate to these three
't arms of the service. One hopes tha
e this will be done, and that the sug
" gestion of the adjutant general vii
:, bear fruit. The best band that eve
played cannot animate body o
u marching men as can their owl
II voices joining in the measures o
a stirring national anthem.-Ex
change.
is Every soldier who served at tn
p front in our civil war knows tha
ri singing in camp and on the marc
was a common thing in that wal
Rally Round the Flag Boys "Joh
Browns Body" ''Hang JEFF Davis o
Sour Apple Tree" Tramp, TramI
y, y, Tramp" ''Tenting on the Old Cam
n Ground" and other well known air
b. were popular with the boys, an
~ would often spread from regiment t
x regiment, on the march and in caml
Of till brigades and divisions, and some
{. times the whole army would tax
lie them up. We have nothing to lear
ib from the German, or any other army
d, in that line.
ly There was no singing or beating @
p drums or blare of bugles as we rushe
n into battle. Bugles were used t
n give orders, but drums were rele
a gated to the rear, and the soldie
a had something else than singing t
think about.
al We repeat that it would be we
Dt for those who write for the public t
lie be posted at least in the most In
i'd portant events of history, for ther
a are still some of the old fellow
around who helped make history.
ID
rs Free Scholarship tn