Omaha daily bee., 1911-04-30
SONGS OF FIFTY YEARS AGO
In Army Of Song Writers Mustered in
by the Civil War.
SOME OF THEIR SONGS LIVED
Many HAD bot brief Hour In Concert
Hall and staEe-what the
Most Popular Were,
and why.

Ihey were tho popular songs Of the time:
an others gave way TO them bands played |
them the political marching clubs sang
them and they were tried on every piano
When young persons met the favorite
amusement was singing the songs that were
equally popular with the soldier in the
camp or those they left behind them at
home.
The song writer's Of the country-and
there were some very notable ones at the
tme-became imbued with the fervor of
the war spirit and turned their talents to
the composition Of songs that voiced the
prevailing sentiment Of patriotism. or COM
miseration for the wounded and dying sold
lers Indeed, songs issued in an almost
endless stream from the musical press
some OF course, scarcely attracting even a |
passing notice, but others again sprfnginR
into Wide popularity catching the fancy at
once. The north was the richest in these
patriotic and musical compositions. though
the south had also inspiring strains and as
the north did not dsdain TO borrow the air
OF Maryland, My Maryland" for a set of
northern words. so the south calmly APP
propriated Weeping, Sad and Lonely"
neatly changing the blue suit" of the
young hero into one Of gray, as befitted
the southern uniform. The sentiment OF
THIS song appealed 10 everyone. and the
color OF the clothes was merely an incl
dental circumstances
weeping Sad and Lonely" one of the
popular songs OF the war was the composi-
uon of Charles Carroll Sawyer. Con
necticut man, although a resident of New
YORK. He was prolific composer and his
Who win Care for Mother. Now?'' almost
riValed When This Cruel War Is over" in
the esteem of the public
UnweIcomc Songs.
~ has been said that one Of the gem
erals of the Army OF the Potomac vvben
ms troops were in winter quarters for
nade the playing or singing OF when This
Cruel War Is Over" as it made the men
toV ooWn-hearted, and "Old Folks at
hume was often under Introduction for
.ne Same reason. Sawyer. in speaking of
ms songs on one occasion remarked: Dur
Ing 1861 many songs were published filled
with the love of the soldier for his home
and thinking II would cheer and confor+
our brave boys / composed and published
When This Cruel War Is Over which
seemed to reach the hearts of both armies
SO that in few months found IL almost
impossible to supply the demand" Nearly
LWO'OOO copies were sold. The first stanza
OF this old-time war song is as follows;
Dearest love. do you remember.
When we last did meet
How you told me that you loved ma
kneeling at my feet?
an, now proud you stood before me.
IN your suit of blue,
when you vowed to me and country
Ever to be true.
Chorus
weeping, sad and lonely
Hopes and tears are vain
Yet praying. when this cruel war IL over
Praying that Wen meet againi
When This Cruel War Is Over" was
the plant of a young girl in parting
with her soldier lover but who VIII
Care for Mother NowY" was the crv Of
a Soldier and was said to have been
founded on a true incident, but II may be
doubted II any soldier ever did announce
so confidently to his comrades:
soon with the angels I'll be marching,
win bright laurels on my brow;
d, | have for my country fallen
Who will care for mother nowP
as the hero Of this song is represented
as doing
Gained Instant Popularity,
song that appeared early in the war
and attained immediate popularity waa
Rally Round the Flag" or the 'sBattIa
Cry OF Freedom" by George Frederick
Root. The Battle Cry of Freedom was
inspired by incoln's second call for troops.
In an incredibly short space Of time every |
II up tho demand for 1t became 40 Rraat
that the publishers had fourteen printing |
presses constantly at work turning out
the copies. 1t goes:
Yes, Wen rally round the flag. bows
Wen rally once again.
Shouting the battle cry OF freedom.
We Will rally from the hillside
wen rally from the plain,
shouting the battle cry OF freedom
Chorus,
The Union forever. hurrah, boys hurraht |
Down with the traitor, up with the stsr
Rally once again,
Shouting the battle cry of freedom.
Naturally slavery, the cause OF the war
received its due measure OF attention from |
the song writers and Henry c. Work COM
posed many songs dealing with that insti |
tuition. Wake, Nicodemus" immortalixed |
the slave in such songs as my Old Ken !
tueky Home" and The Old Folks at
Home" than the work of any other writer |
Nleodemus, the slave was OF African birth |
And was bought for bag full OF gold:
ne was reckoned as part OF the salt OF |
the earth,
But he died years ago, very old.
twas ms last sad request as We laid him |
In the trunk of an old hollow tree.
Wake me up!" was his ehsrge SAT -.
first break OF day.
wake me up for the great jubilee"
Chorus: |
The good time is almost here;
was long, long, long on the way
Now run and tell Elijah to hurry up Pomp |
And meet us at the gum tree down in the |
swamp
10 wake Nicodemus today
Marching Through Georgia.
Other war songs as popular as Wake |
Nieodemus'' and Kingdom Coming" that |
were composed by Work. were Babylon /
Has Fallen" and Marching Through |
Georgia" This latter was written near
the close OF the war and commemorated |
shermans march to the sea, and is said to |
have exerted a powerful influence in keep
ing alive hope and courage in the army
II was for a long period a favorite song at |
Grand Army OF the Republic meetings and |
was usually sung whenever sherman was |
near enough TO hear IT, until at last the |
general grew so heartily tired OF il that It !
had to be discontinued at gatherings where !
he happened to be present. 1t ran:
Bring the good old bugle boys. wen have
another song,