Johnny Come Marching Home Again Scottish Metal Cover

Typical cover of sheet music, with songs depicting the individuals of the era, such as John Chase Morgan

During the American Civil War, music played a prominent role on both sides of the disharmonize, Union (the Northward) and Confederate (the South). On the battleground, different instruments including bugles, drums, and fifes were played to issue marching orders or sometimes simply to boost the morale of ane's boyfriend soldiers. Singing was also employed non only as a recreational activeness only every bit a release from the inevitable tensions that come with fighting in a state of war. In army camp, music was a diversion abroad from the bloodshed, helping the soldiers deal with homesickness and boredom. Soldiers of both sides frequently engaged in recreation with musical instruments, and when the opposing armies were near each other, sometimes the bands from both sides of the conflict played against each other on the night before a battle.

Each side had its particular favorite tunes, while some music was enjoyed by Northerners and Southerners akin, equally exemplified by Us President Abraham Lincoln's dearest of "Dixie", the unofficial anthem of the Confederacy. To this twenty-four hours, many of the songs are sung when a patriotic piece is required. The war's music also inspired music artists such equally Lynyrd Skynyrd and Elvis Presley.

Development of American music [edit]

The Civil War was an important period in the development of American music. During the Civil State of war, when soldiers from across the country commingled, the multifarious strands of American music began to cantankerous-fertilize each other, a procedure that was aided by the burgeoning railroad manufacture and other technological developments that made travel and communication easier. Army units included individuals from across the country, and they chop-chop traded tunes, instruments, and techniques. The songs that arose from this fusion were "the beginning American folk music with discernible features that can be considered unique to America".^[one] The state of war was an impetus for the creation of many songs that became and remained wildly popular; the songs were aroused by "all the varied passions (that the Civil War inspired)" and "echoed and re-echoed" every aspect of the war. John Tasker Howard has claimed that the songs from this era "could exist arranged in proper sequence to grade an actual history of the conflicts: its events, its primary characters, and the ideals and principles of the opposing sides".^[2]

In addition to, and in conjunction with, popular songs with patriotic fervor, the Civil War era too produced a keen trunk of contumely band pieces, from both the North and the South,^[iii] too every bit other military musical traditions similar the bugle call "Taps".

Regulations [edit]

John Clem, a twelve-yr-old Matrimony drummer boy

In May 1861, the United States State of war Department officially approved that every regiment of infantry and artillery could accept a contumely band with 24 members, while a cavalry regiment could have one of 16 members. The Amalgamated ground forces would also have brass bands. This was followed past a Wedlock army regulation of July 1861 requiring every infantry, arms, or cavalry company to have 2 musicians and for in that location to be a twenty-four man band for every regiment.^[4] The July 1861 requirement was ignored as the war dragged on, as riflemen were more needed than musicians. In July 1862 the brass bands of the Union were disassembled past the adjutant full general, although the soldiers that comprised them were sometimes re-enlisted and assigned to musician roles. A survey in October 1861 found that 75% of Wedlock regiments had a band.^[4] By December 1861 the Union army had 28,000 musicians in 618 bands; a ratio of ane soldier out of 41 who served the army was a musician, and the Amalgamated army was believed to have a similar ratio.^[5] Musicians were oft given special privileges. Spousal relationship full general Philip Sheridan gave his cavalry bands the best horses and special uniforms, assertive "Music has done its share, and more than its share, in winning this state of war".^[half-dozen]

Musicians on the battlefield were drummers and buglers, with an occasional fifer. Buglers had to acquire forty-ix divide calls but for infantry, with more than needed for cavalry. These ranged from battle commands to calls for meal time.^[7] Some of these required musicians were drummer boys not even in their teens, which allowed an developed human being to instead exist a foot soldier. The nearly notable of these under anile musicians was John Clem, also known equally "Johnny Shiloh". Wedlock drummers wore white straps to support their drums. The drum and ring majors wore baldrics to bespeak their status; subsequently the war, this way would be emulated in civilian bands. Drummers would march to the correct of a marching column. Similar to buglers, drummers had to larn 39 dissimilar beats: fourteen for general use, and 24 for marching cadency. However, buglers were given greater importance than drummers.^[8]

On the battlefield [edit]

Whole songs were sometimes played during battles. The survivors of the disastrous Pickett'due south Accuse returned under the tune "Nearer My God to Thee".^[9] At the Battle of 5 Forks, Spousal relationship musicians under orders from Sheridan played Stephen Foster's minstrel song "Nelly Bly" while being shot at on the front lines.^[9] Samuel P. Heintzelman, the commander of the III Corps, saw many of his musicians continuing at the dorsum lines at the Battle of Williamsburg, and ordered them to play annihilation.^[9] Their music rallied the Wedlock forces, forcing the Confederate to withdraw. It was said that music was the equivalent of "a k men" on ane's side. Robert E. Lee himself said, "I don't think we could accept an regular army without music."^[x]

Sometimes, musicians were ordered to leave the battlefront and assistance the surgeons. One notable fourth dimension was the 20th Maine'southward musicians at Piffling Round Pinnacle. As the residue of the regiment were driving back wave after wave of Confederates, the musicians of the regiment were not just performing amputations, but doing it in a very quick manner.^{[eleven] [12]}

In campsite [edit]

Many soldiers brought musical instruments from domicile to pass the time at camp. Banjos, fiddles, and guitars were particularly popular. Bated from drums, the instruments Confederates played were either caused before the war or imported, due to the lack of brass and the manufacture to brand such instruments.^{[xi] [13]}

Musical duels between the two sides were common, every bit they heard each other as the music traveled across the countryside. The nighttime before the Battle of Stones River, bands from both sides dueled with dissever songs until both sides started playing "Dwelling house! Sweet Abode!", at which time soldiers on both sides started singing together as one.^[14] A similar situation occurred in Fredericksburg, Virginia, in the winter of 1862–63. On a common cold afternoon, a Marriage ring started playing Northern patriotic tunes; a Southern band responded by playing Southern patriotic tunes. This back and forth continued into the nighttime, until at the end both sides played "Habitation! Sweet Home!" simultaneously, to the cheers of both sides' forces.^[11] In a third instance, in the bound of 1863, the opposing armies were on the reverse sides of the Rappahannock River in Virginia, when the different sides played their patriotic tunes, and at taps one side played "Home! Sweet Home!", and the other joined in, creating "thanks" from both sides that echoed throughout the hilly countryside.^[xv]

Both sides sang "Maryland, My Maryland", although the lyrics were slightly different. Another pop vocal for both was "Lorena". "When Johnny Comes Marching Domicile" was written in 1863 by Patrick Gilmore, an immigrant from Ireland, and was besides enjoyed by both sides.^{[16] [17]}

Homefront [edit]

The first vocal was written for the state of war, "The First Gun Is Fired", was first published and distributed three days after the Boxing of Fort Sumter. George F. Root, who wrote it, is said to have produced the most songs of anyone almost the war, over xxx in total.^[18] Lincoln once wrote a alphabetic character to Root, saying, "Y'all have washed more than a hundred generals and a 1000 orators."^[19] Other songs played an important role in convincing northern whites that African Americans were willing to fight and wanted freedom, for instance Henry Dirt Piece of work's 1883 "Babylon Is Fallen" and Charles Halpine'south "Sambo's Right to Be Kilt".^[xx]

The southern states had long lagged backside northern states in producing common literature. With the advent of war, Southern publishers were in need. These publishers, based largely in five cities (Charleston, South Carolina; Macon, Georgia; Mobile, Alabama; Nashville, Tennessee; and New Orleans, Louisiana), produced five times more than printed music than they did literature.^[21]

In the Confederate States of America, "God Save the South" was the official national anthem. However, "Dixie" was the most popular.^[17] United States President Abraham Lincoln said he loved "Dixie" and wanted to hear it played, saying "as we had captured the rebel army, nosotros had as well captured the insubordinate tune".^[22] At an April 9, 1865, rally, the band manager was surprised when Lincoln requested that the ring play "Dixie". Lincoln said, "That tune is now Federal property ... good to show the rebels that, with united states in ability, they will be complimentary to hear it once more." The other prominent tune was "The Bonnie Blueish Flag", which, like "Dixie", was written in 1861, unlike Union pop tunes which were written throughout the war.^[23]

The Usa did not have a national anthem at this time ("The Star-Spangled Banner" would not exist recognized equally such until the twentieth century). Union soldiers frequently sang the "Boxing Weep of Freedom", and the "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was considered the north's most popular song.^[24]

African American music [edit]

Music sung by African-Americans changed during the war. The theme of escape from chains became especially important in spirituals sung by blacks, both by slaves singing among themselves on plantations and for costless and recently freed blacks singing to white audiences. New versions of songs such as "Hail Mary", "Michael Row the Boat Aground", and "Go Down Moses" emphasized the message of liberty and the rejection of slavery.^[25] Many new slave songs were sung besides, the most popular being, "Many Thousands Become", which was oft sung by slaves fleeing plantations to Union Army camps.^[26] Several attempts were made to publish slave songs during the war. The first was the publishing of sheet music to "Become Downwardly Moses" by Reverend L. C. Lockwood in December 1861 based on his experience with escaped slaves in Fort Monroe, Virginia, in September of that year. In 1863, the Continental Monthly published a sampling of spirituals from S Carolina in an article titled, "Under the Palmetto".^[27]

The white colonel of the all-black Outset South Carolina, Thomas Wentworth Higginson, noted that when blacks knew that whites were listening, they changed the way they were sung, and historian Christian McWhiter noted that African Americans "used their music to reshape white perceptions and foster a new paradigm of black civilization as thriving and ready for liberty".^[28] In Port Imperial, escaped slaves learned the canticle, "America" in secret, never singing it in front of whites. When the Emancipation Proclamation was passed, a celebration was held, and in a surprise to white onlookers, contrabands began singing the canticle, using the vocal to express their new condition.^[29] The about popular white songs amongst slaves were "John Brown's Body" and H. C. Piece of work's "Kingdom Coming",^[30] and as the state of war connected, the lyrics African Americans sung changed, with vagueness and coded linguistic communication dropped and including open expressions of their new roles every bit soldiers and citizens.^[31]

Slave owners in the due south responded by restricting singing on plantations and imprisoning singers of songs supporting emancipation or the North.^[32] Confederate supporters also looked to music sung by slaves for signs of loyalty. Several Confederate regimental bands included slaves, and Confederates arranged slaves to sing and dance to bear witness how happy they were. Slave performer Thomas Greene Bethune, known as Blind Tom, often played pro-Confederate songs such as "Maryland, My Maryland" and "Dixie" and dropped, "Yankee Putter" from his performances.^[33]

Different versions [edit]

Although certain songs were identified with one particular side of the state of war, sometimes the other would adapt the song for their apply. A Southern revision of "The Star-Spangled Banner" was used, entitled "The Southern Cross". In an example of the different lyrics, where the "Banner" had "O say does that Star Spangled Banner yet wave", the "Cantankerous" had "'Tis the Cross of the South, which shall ever remain".^[34] Another Confederate version of The Star-Spangled Banner", called "The Flag of Secession", replaced the aforementioned verse with "and the flag of secession in triumph doth wave".^[22] Even a song from the American Revolutionary War was adjusted, as the melody "Yankee Doodle" was inverse to "Dixie Doodle", and started with "Dixie whipped old Yankee Putter early in the morning".^[35] The Wedlock's "Battle Cry of Freedom" was likewise altered, with the original lines of "The Wedlock forever! Hurrah, boys, hurrah! Down with the traitor, upwards with the star" existence inverse to "Our Dixie forever! She's never at a loss! Down with the eagle and up with the cross!"^[36]

The Matrimony also adapted Southern songs. In a Spousal relationship variation of "Dixie", instead of the line "I wish I was in the land of cotton wool, old times in that location are not forgotten, Look away, expect away, look away, Dixie Land", information technology was changed to "Away down Southward in the country of traitors, Rattlesnakes and alligators, Right away, come away, correct abroad, come away".^[37] "John Brown's Body" (originally titled "John Brown") was originally written for a soldier at Fort Warren in Boston in 1861. It was sung to the tune of "Glory, Hallelujah" and was after used past Julia Ward Howe for her famous poem, "Battle Hymn of the Republic".^[38]

Classical music [edit]

• A Lincoln Portrait (1942), by Aaron Copland, for narrator and orchestra. The subject is Lincoln'southward words. Contains excerpts from his 1862 annual address to Congress, the Lincoln-Douglas Debates, and the Gettysburg Address. The narrator is normally a distinguished person the orchestra wishes to honor; among them accept been Nib Clinton, Al Gore, and Barack Obama.
• "The Battle of Shiloh" (1886), by C. L. Barnhouse, march for war machine band. The subject is the battle of the same proper name.
• Names from the War (1961), past Alec Wilder, for narrator with chorus, woodwinds, and contumely. Sets to music a long poem of the same name by Civil War historian Bruce Catton. 100 years later, what remains are the names.

Legacy [edit]

The music derived from this war was of greater quantity and multifariousness than from any other state of war involving America.^[39] Songs came from a diverseness of sources. "Battle Hymn of the Democracy" borrowed its tune from a song sung at Methodist revivals. "Dixie" was a minstrel song that Daniel Emmett adapted from two Ohio blackness singers named Snowden.^[40] American soldiers would continue to sing "Battle Hymn of the Commonwealth" in the Spanish–American State of war, World War I, and World War II.^[41]

The Southern rock style of music has frequently used the Confederate Battle Flag as a symbol of the musical fashion. "Sweetness Abode Alabama" by Lynyrd Skynyrd was described as a "bright example of a lingering Confederate mythology in Southern culture".^[42]

A carol from the war, "Aureola Lee", would get the footing of the song "Love Me Tender" by Elvis Presley. Presley also sang "An American Trilogy", which was described as "smoothing" out "All My Trials", the "Battle Hymn of the Republic", and "Dixie" of its divisions, although "Dixie" nonetheless dominated the piece.^[43]

In 2013, a compilation album by electric current popular musicians, like Jorma Kaukonen, Ricky Skaggs, and Karen Elson, was released with the title Divided & United: The Songs of the Ceremonious State of war.^[44]

Songs published per yr [edit]

westward. = Words by
m. = Music by

1861 [edit]

• "The Commencement Gun is Fired", w.m. George F. Root
• "The Bonnie Blueish Flag", w. Mrs. Annie Bedroom-Ketchum, m. Harry MacCarthy
• "Dixie", w. Dan Emmett a. C. S. Grafully
• "John Brown'due south Body", w. anonymous yard. William Steffe (came to be the unofficial theme song of blackness soldiers)
• "Maryland, My Maryland", west. James Ryder Randall m. Walter de Mapers (Music "Mini est Propositum" 12th century)
• "The Vacant Chair", west. Henry Southward. Washburne m. George Frederick Root

1862 [edit]

• "Hither'due south Your Mule", C. D. Benson
• "Battle Cry of Liberty", George F. Root
• "Battle Hymn of the Democracy", Julia Ward Howe

1863 [edit]

Encompass of the 1864 publication of the sheet music of "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!"

• "All Quiet Forth the Potomac Tonight", due west.m. John Hill Hewitt
• "Just Earlier the Boxing, Female parent", by George F. Root
• "Mother Would Comfort Me", due west.1000. Charles C. Sawyer
• "Tenting on the Old Campsite Ground", due west.chiliad. Walter Kittredge
• "Weeping Sad and Lone", w. Charles Carroll Sawyer k. Henry Tucker
• "When Johnny Comes Marching Habitation", past Patrick Gilmore
• "You Are Going to the Wars, Willie Boy!", westward.thousand. John Loma Hewitt
• "The Young Volunteer", due west.grand. John Hill Hewitt

1864 [edit]

• "Tramp! Tramp! Tramp! (The Boys Are Marching)", w.thousand. George F. Root
• "Pray, Maiden, Pray!", westward. A. W. Kercheval, m. A. J. Turner

1865 [edit]

• "Jeff in Pettycoats", w.m. Henry Tucker
• "Marching Through Georgia", w.m. Henry Clay Work
• "Expert Bye, Old Glory", w. L. J. Bates, m. George Frederick Root

Notes and references [edit]

Notes [edit]

1. ^ Struble, p. xvii
2. ^ Howard, John Tasker, cited in Ewen, p. 19 (no specific source given)
3. ^ "Ring Music from the Civil War Era", Library of Congress
4. ^ ^{a b} Lanning p. 243
5. ^ Lanning p. 243, Vaughan pp. 194, 195
6. ^ Lanning, p. 244
7. ^ Amedeo, p. 127; Miller, p. 92
8. ^ Lanning p. 243; Miller p. 96
9. ^ ^{a b c} Lanning p. 244
10. ^ Lanning pp. 243, 244
11. ^ ^{a b c} "Music of the Civil War", National Park Service
12. ^ Turner p. 151; Vaughan p. 195
13. ^ Heidler p. 1173; Miller p. 190
14. ^ Amedeo p. 257; Vaughan p. 194
15. ^ Branham p. 131
16. ^ Amedeo, pp. 77, 127
17. ^ ^{a b} Lanning p. 245
18. ^ Kelley p. thirty; Silber p. 7
19. ^ Branham p. 132
20. ^ McWhirter 2012, p. 148
21. ^ Harwell, pp. iii, 4
22. ^ ^{a b} Branham p. 130
23. ^ Silber, p. eight
24. ^ Lanning p. 245
25. ^ McWhirter 2012, pp. 149–150, 157
26. ^ McWhirter 2012, p. 151
27. ^ McWhirter 2012, p. 155–156
28. ^ McWhirter 2012, p. 152
29. ^ McWhirter 2012, p. 158–159
30. ^ McWhirter 2012, p. 159
31. ^ McWhirter 2012, p. 163
32. ^ McWhirter 2012, pp. 152–153
33. ^ McWhirter 2012, p. 154
34. ^ Harwell pp. 64, 65
35. ^ Harwell, p. 67
36. ^ Silber p. 10
37. ^ Van Deburg p. 109
38. ^ Hall, p. iv
39. ^ Silber, p. 4
40. ^ Heidler pp. 191, 607
41. ^ Ravitch p. 257
42. ^ Kaufman pp. x, 81
43. ^ Amedeo, p. 111, Kaufman, p. 83
44. ^ Doughtery, Steve, "Civil War Pop Music: Divided & United: On a new CD, contemporary artists revive the era's songs", The Wall Street Journal, Oct 23, 2013

References [edit]

• Amedeo, Michael (2007). Civil War: Untold stories of the Blue and the Grayness . Due west Side Publications. ISBN978-1-4127-1418-1.
• Branham, Robert J. (2002). Sweetness Freedom's Song: "My Land 'tis of Thee" and Democracy in America . Oxford Academy Press Us. ISBN0-19-513741-eight.
• Ewen, David (1957). Panorama of American Popular Music . Prentice Hall.
• Hall, Roger Lee (2012). Celebrity, Hallelujah: Civil War Songs and Hymns. PineTree Printing.
• Harwell, Richard B. (1950). Confederate Music. Chapel Loma, North Carolina: University of N Carolina Press. OCLC 309959.
• Heidler, David (2002). Encyclopedia of the American Civil War. West. W. Norton. ISBN0-393-04758-10.
• Kaufman, Will (2006). The Civil War in American Civilisation. Edinburgh University Printing. ISBN0-7486-1935-six.
• Kelley, Bruce (2004). "An Overview of Music of the Civil War Era" Bugle Resounding. University of Missouri Press. ISBN0-8131-2375-five.
• Lanning, Michael (2007). The Civil War 100. Sourcebooks. ISBN978-one-4022-1040-2.
• McWhirter, Christian (2012). Battle Hymns: The Ability and Popularity of Music in the Civil State of war. Chapel Hill, N Carolina: University of Due north Carolina Press. ISBN978-1469613673.
• Miller, David (2001). Uniforms, Weapons, and Equipment of the Civil War. London: Salamander Books. ISBNi-84065-257-viii.
• Ravitch, Diane (2000). The American Reader: Words that Moved a Nation. HarperCollins. ISBN0-06-273733-iii.
• Silber, Irwin (1995). Songs of the Civil War . Courier Dover Publications. ISBN0-486-28438-7.
• Struble, John Warthen (1995). The History of American Classical Music. Facts on File. ISBN0-8160-2927-10.
• Turner, Thomas Reed (2007). 101 Things Y'all Didn't Know about the Ceremonious War. Adams Media. ISBN978-i-59869-320-1.
• Van Deburg, William L. (1984). Slavery & Race in American Popular Culture . University of Wisconsin Press. ISBN0-299-09634-3.
• Vaughan, Donald (2000). The Everything Civil State of war Volume . Holbrook, Massachusetts: Adams Media Corporation. ISBN1-58062-366-2.

Further reading [edit]

• Abel, Eastward. Lawrence (2000). Singing the New Nation: How Music Shaped the Confederacy, 1861–1865 (Showtime ed.). Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania: Stackpole Books. ISBN0-8117-0228-6.
• Clarke, Donald (1995). The Rise and Fall of Popular Music. St. Martin'south Press. ISBN0-312-11573-iii.
• Donald, David Herbert (1995). Lincoln . Simon and Schuster. ISBN0-684-82535-X.
• Knouse, Nola Reed "Music from the Band Books of the 26th Infantry Regiment, NC Troops, C.S.A.". Liner notes essay. New Globe Records.
• Southern, Eileen (1997). The Music of Black Americans. New York: W. Westward. Norton. pp. 206–212. ISBN0-393-97141-four.

External links [edit]

• "Collection: Ring Music From the Civil State of war Era". Library of Congress . Retrieved June thirteen, 2005.
• The curt film A Nation Sings (1963) is available for free download at the Net Annal.
• Singing the Songs of Zion: Soldier's Hymn Collections and Hymn Singing in the American Civil War
• Ceremonious War songs and hymns
• American Song Sheets, Knuckles University Libraries Digital Collections – includes images and text of over ane,500 Civil War song sheets
• Ceremonious State of war-era pictorial envelopes and song sheets at the Academy of Maryland Libraries

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Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_the_American_Civil_War

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