The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1910-10-25
AMERICAS "eRAND OLD WOMAN

/
| of selling intoxicating liquors
| AMERICAS "GRAND OLD WOMAN
/ Julia Ward Howe, whose death oc-
Cured last week, and who had come
to be called Americas grand ola
woman" was the last of that notaoie
company of New England reformess
whose names are forever linked WleA
the anti-slavery agitation that nao It's
birth in Boston as long ago as the
40's. Garrison, Phillips, Emerson,
Holmes. Lowell, Sumner James Free
man Clarke and host OF others were
her fellow workers In the crusade that
knew no check until it had reached
its goal
Her husband, DR.. Samuel G. Howe.
i TO whom she was married in 1913, was
in the forefront of that movement he
had served in the Greek war OF lnoe,
Dendence, and Julia Wards marriage
Joined two famous families of reform
ers. Her great grandfather was GOV.
Samuel Ward of Rhode Island ana
4 member of the Continental Congress.
Her grandfather married daughter
of General Green, who also WAS
governor of Rhode Island. Although
her ancestors We're all New England
ers. descendants of Roger Williams,
Julia was born in New York, May -.
1919. She early displayed studlous
and literary tastes and received a
classical education. taking high non
Eors in languages and philosophy. AT
: II she became contributor to the
New York Magazine, and during her
t long life her pen was seldom idle
The Howes took up their residence
D in Boston. where they became the cen
ter of that brilliant literary galaxy OF
r which Mrs. Howe was the last sur
vivor Her first book of poems, Pas
!, sion Flowers" appeared anonymously
in 1854. was followed by Words
for the Hour in 1857, and drama
Y THE Worlds Own" A book of Euro
pean travel, Later Lyrics published
+. in 1867. a biography of Margaret Full
s Ter Countess D.OssolD, a monograpa
of Modern Society and the. famou
Y Battle Hymn, written in Washington
in the first year of the war, but no
7! published until 1862, closed the mrs
period of her literary labors in tn
early years after the Civil War.
d Mrs. Howe gave the following ac
count of how she came to write tn
song on which her fame chiefly rests
1t "One day we drove out to attend
e. review of the troops, appointed t,
take place some distance from TIL
city. In the carriage with me wer
James Freeman Clarke and Mr.. an
- Mrs. Clarke The day was fine an
= everything promised well, but SUD
den surprise on the part of the enem
interrupted the proceedings befor
they were we'll begun. A small bod
of our men had been surrounded an
~ cut off from tier companions, reir
IL forcements were sent to their assis'
De ance, and the expected pageant wa
i'd necessarily given up.
i. The troops who were to have take
"a part in it were ordered back 10 thei
quarters, and we also turned GU
horses heads homeward
For long distance the foot SO
s. diers nearly filled the road. They wer
to before and behind and we were oblige
g to drive very slowly We present.
he began to sing some of the well-know
IN songs of the war, and among thel
all John Browns Body Lies Amoulderin
at in the Grave,
This seemed to please the soldiers
who cried, Good for you, ana tAea
selves took up the strain Mr.. Clark
hu said to me: You ought to write SON
ct new words to that tune | replie
1yg II
In spite OF the excitement of tt
day, went to bed and slept as usua
ID. but awoke next morning in the gray
the early dawn, and 20 my astonis
ment found that the wished-for linz
me we're arranging themselves in II
re brain.
Il lay quite still until the last YER
ted had completed itself in my thougAt
the then hastily arose. saying to myss
~ ] shall lose this If if | don't write
-. down immediately l searched for
eli sheet of paper and an old stump Of
>dA pen which / had had the night befol
at and began to scrawl the lines alnc
5 a without looking, as | had learned
are DO by often scratching down vers
by in the darkened room where my lit
pub. children were sleeping.
the Having completed this, lay do1
rim again and fell asleep, but not witho
i,r feeling that something of importan
- - had happened to me
81 The poem was published soon aft
this time in the Atlantic Monthly
first came prominently into mott
when Chaplain McCabe, newly rele
de- ed from libby Prison. gave a lectu
rant in Washington. and in the course
II told nc 1t,