Here is a call to a war meeting held out-of-doors: Another meeting of the citizens of Roxbury, to re-enforce their brothers in the field, will be held in ELIOT SQUARE, ROXBURY, THIS EVENING AT EIGHT O'CLOCK. SPEECHES FROM Paul Willard, Rev. J. O. Means, Judge Russell, And other eloquent advocates. The Brigade Band will be on hand early. Come one, come all! (Boston Journal of July 30, 1862.) . . Per Order. War meetings similar to the one called in Roxbury were designed to stir lagging enthusiasm. Musicians and orators blew themselves red in the face with their windy efforts. Choirs improvised for the occasion, sang "Red, White, and Blue" and "Rallied 'Round the Flag" till too hoarse for further endeavor. The old veteran soldier of 1812 was trotted out, and worked for all he was worth, and an occasional Mexican War veteran would air his nonchalance at grim-visaged war. At proper intervals the enlistment roll would be presented for signatures. There was generally one old fellow present who upon slight provocation would yell like a hyena, and declare his readiness to shoulder his musket and go, if he wasn't so old, while his staid and half-fearful consort would pull violently at his coat-tails to repress his unseasonable effervescence ere it assumed more dangerous proportions. Then there was a patriotic maiden lady who kept a flag or a handkerchief waving with only the rarest and briefest of intervals, who "would go in a minute if she was a man." Besides these there was usually a man who would make one of fifty (or some other safe number) to enlist, when he well understood that such a number could not be obtained. And there was one more often found present who when challenged to sign would agree to, provided that A or B (men of wealth) would put down their names. Sometimes the patriotism of such a gathering would be wrought up so intensely by waving banners, martial and vocal music, and burning eloquence, that a town's quota would be filled in less than an hour. It needed only the first man to step forward, put down his name, be patted on the back, placed upon the platform, and cheered to the echo as the hero of the hour, when a second, a third, a fourth would follow, and at last a perfect stampede set in to sign the enlistment roll, and a frenzy of enthusiasm would take possession of the meeting. The complete intoxication of such excitement, like intoxication from liquor, left some of its victims on the following day, especially if the fathers of families, with the sober second thought to wrestle with; but Pride, that tyrannical master, rarely let them turn back. John D. Billings, Hardtack and Coffee, or The Unwritten Story of Army Life (Boston, etc., 1888), 34–41 passim. 85. War Songs (1861-1864) BY NORTHERN POETS The Civil War was a people's war; and the camp, the march, the public meetings at home, and even the hospital were enlivened by patriotic songs. The northern songs given below include some often sung, chiefly of little poetic value, and one of less popularity but more literary merit. For southern songs, see No. 91 below. Bibliography as in No. 84 above. Jo A. "JOHN BROWN'S BODY" (ANONYMOUS) JOHN BROWN'S body lies a-mould'ring in the grave, He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord! He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord! · Chorus. John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back. His pet lambs will meet him on the way, And they'll go marching on. - Chorus. They'll hang Jeff Davis on a sour apple tree, Now for the Union let's give three rousing cheers, Hip, hip, hip, hip, Hurrah! WE E are coming, Father Abraham, three hundred thousand more, We leave our ploughs and workshops, our wives and children dear, We dare not look behind us, but steadfastly before : We are coming, Father Abraham, three hundred thousand more! If you look across the hilltops that meet the northern sky, If you look all up our valleys where the growing harvests shine, You have called us, and we're coming, by Richmond's bloody tide Six hundred thousand loyal men and true have gone before: C. "WAR SONG" BY WILLIAM WETMORE STORY with the Flag of the Stripes and the Stars! Gather together from plough and from loom! Hark to the signal!· - the music of wars Brothers unite-rouse in your might, For Justice and Freedom, for God and the Right! Down with the foe to the Land and the Laws ! Marching together, our country to save, God shall be with us to strengthen our cause, Brothers unite rouse in your might, For Justice and Freedom, for God and the Right! Flag of the Free! under thee we will fight, Shoulder to shoulder, our face to the foe; Death to all traitors, and God for the Right! Singing this song as to battle we go: March, march, march, march! Freemen unite rouse in your might, For Justice and Freedom, for God and the Right! Land of the Free- that our fathers of old, Bleeding together, cemented in blood Give us thy blessing, as brave and as bold, Conquer or fall! Hark to the call: Justice and Freedom for one and for all! Chain of the slave we have suffered so long- Hark! for God hears us, as echoes our song, Conquer or fall! Rouse to the call— Workmen arise! There is work for us now; Ours the red ledger for bayonet pen; Sword be our hammer, and cannon our plough ; March, march, march, march ! Freemen we fight, roused in our might, For Justice and Freedom, for God and the Right! 7ES, we'll rally round the flag, boys, we'll rally once again, Shouting the battle-cry of freedom, YES We will rally from the hill-side, we'll gather from the plain, Chorus.-The Union forever, hurrah! boys, hurrah, Down with the traitor, up with the star, While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again, We are springing to the call of our brothers gone before, And we'll fill the vacant ranks with a million freemen more, We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true, and brave, And altho' they may be poor, not a man shall be a slave, |