Civil War Music
Instruments used in the war
- Violins
- Spinets
- Trumpets
- Cornets
- Mellophone
- French horns
- Bugles
- Drums
- Fifes
- Whistles
- Harmonicas
- Drums
Booklet
In battle
This is the God Save the South booklet. It's a rare music cover illustration, published in Richmond, Virginia
On the battlefield, different instruments were played to issue marching orders or sometimes simply to boost the morale of one's fellow soldiers.
Bugle Calls
The bugle was essential to all military communication until it was replaced by electronics. The primary bugler was assigned to the headquarters staff, and was always near the commander's side at the front. Soldiers were quick to learn the calls of the bugle.
Conclusion
Each day, about thirty bugle calls are called everyday day. Each call representing intricate orders from waking up, to lights out.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic
Without civil war music, armies would be disorganized on the field. Civil war music is different than today's music in the sense that civil war music has more interesting origins and they have more purpose than music today, which talks about break ups and body parts.
The Battle Hymn of the Republic was one of the most preeminent songs in the North. It was written by Julia Ward Howe.
This song has been sung in patriotic programs and is still sung in schools and churches all over.
Origin
Several theories exist regarding the origin of the term "Dixie".
Origin
One theory is, according to Robert LeRoy Ripley, Dixie has nothing to do with the South. Dixieland is located on a farm on Long island, New York. A man named John Dixie (who owned the farm) befriended so many slaves before the war, the place became a sort of haven to the slaves.
There are lots of theories like this, many connecting to New York.
Composer
army camps near Washington D.C. with James Freeman Clarke and her husband, Dr.Samuel Gridley Howe. During their visit, the group began to sing some popular songs, among them
Lots of people claim to be the composer of Dixie, although most sources say that it was Daniel Decatur Emmett.
In the November of 1861, Julia Ward Howe was touring Union
was "John Brown's Body."
In a flash of inspiration, Julia Howe wrote new lyrics and it was published in 1862.
I Wish I was in Dixie's Land
This is because of Emmett's tardiness in registering the song's copyrights. The latest challenge has come from the Snowden Family of Knox County, Ohio, who may have collaborated with Emmett to write "Dixie".
Fun fact: The song likely cemented the word "Dixie" in the American vocabulary as a name for the Southern United States.
I Wish I was I Dixie's Land was a popular song across the United States during the civil war.
The lyrics tell a comically exaggerated version story of a homesick southerner.