Milford chronicle., 1910-10-21
JULIA WARD HOWE,
FAMED POET,DEAD
Author Of Battle Hymn Of the
Republic" Passes Away.
WAS KIHETY-ONE YEARS OLD
Her Death Was Due to Old Age,
Which, With a Cold, Weakened Her
Heart-Wrote For Fifty Years.

- -'-s
Mrs. Julia Ward Howe, poet and pa
triot, and the writer of the famous
Battle Hymn of the Republic" passed
peacefully away at her summer home
oak Glen, in Middletown, R. l.
Mrs. Howe had been i'll since We'd
/ nesday last, when she had a severe
chill Death was due to old age. which,
with a cold, weakened her heart. She
was in her ninety-second year
On Sunday Mrs Howe appeared to
/ be recovering from her cold but con-
/ tinued to remain in bed Monday her
I condition changed suddenly for the
worse and she lapsed into unconscious
ness, which ended in death.
At her bedside were her three
daughters. Mrs Florence Howe Hall,
Mrs. Laura Elizabeth Richards and
Mrs. John Elliot. with her husband
Julia Ward Howe, the Grand Old
Woman OF American literature will al
ways be remembered as the author OF
the famous Battle Hymn OF the Re
public
Mrs Howe was the daughter OF
Samuel Ward prominent New York
banker, and was born in New York
city on May p. 1919 Her mother was
a descendant Of the distinguished Gen
eral Marion of Revolutionary fame,
and was a highly cultivated woman,
who inculcated in her daughter the
love OF poetry a an early age.
Mrs Howe soon became proficient
in several ancient and modern Ian
guages and in music. When twenty
four she was married to Dr. Samuel
S. Howe, Of Boston. An extended tour
abroad followed, during which they
visited England, Ireland, the Italian
lakes. Rome, Florence and Paris.
About this time Mrs. Howe com
menced to write poetry, and a few
years after her return, in 1912, brought
out Passion Flowers" her first book. |
Her literary work once started con
tinued for over half a century, during |
which time she produced a great many |
poems and a number of magazine ar
ticles
She also wrote an excellent biogra- |
ply Of Margaret Fuller, published in
1888. Modern Society" was a scath
ing analysis of some Of the ideals and /
practices which are more or less prev
alent in this country. From the Oak
to the Olive" was a book of European
travel. and a companion volume was
"A Trip to Cuba" Her books of poetry
included Words for the Hour" QS56),
Later Lyrics" 1S66) and From Sun
set Ridge" QS9S). A book of her
"Reminiscences" appeared in 1899 and
proved very interesting reading, as she
had met a number of distinguished
people in her long career.
But her popular fame rests on the
famous Battle Hymn of the Repub-
lic," the song OF the Civil War 1t is
sung to the tune of John Brown" and
Mine eyes have seen the
glory of the coming OF the Lord" Mrs
Howe wrote it early one morning.
The night before she had been out
riding in the country near Washington
and her party had narrowly escaped
being captured by a troop of Confed-
crates.
As they came into Washington they
sang John Browns Body and the
tune kept ringing in Mrs. Howe's head
all night. When she awoke before
daylight she began to make verses
10 it.
It was first published at Charles
own, Mass. Captain James Greenleaf.
IN organist Of the Harvard church, set
he notes for the music, and a Massa-
,husetts regiment made them first !
loted by singing them at Fort Warren
n 1861.