Leland, "War-Songs and Their Influence in History," The United States Service Magazine, I (January, 1864), p. Long before the current Civil War boom, these 1 "Our War Songs," Musical Review and Musical World (New York), XV (November, 1864), p. But the songs that have faded least through the years are the best of the marching songs. Songs in honor of the flag, a local hero, or an eminent officer were succeeded by emancipation songs and lyrics of home and mother. As the war progressed, a flood of war music streamed from the presses, an estimated 2000 titles during the first year, and "the subsequent rate of increase has been somewhat greater!"2 The figure seems high, but it should help to explain why no one has yet attempted a complete listing of the Northern war songs. The songs of the nation were indeed a "mirror of its virtues as well as its shortcomings,"1 and recounted in graphic detail the story of the war itself. As feelings blazed higher with the approach of war, local interests merged with the national crisis, and music served as stimulation and relief, catharsis and escape. A publisher's catalogue of this time thus could reflect local interests and enthusiasms with some sensitivity. ![]() Directed primarily to the local market, these publications were most often works of local musicians or new editions of perennial favorites from the public domain. Every city of any considerable size had a music store that, if successful, usually did a little publishing. ![]() EPSTEIN on the eve of the civil war the music trade of the United States was scattered through the country rather than concentrated in a few metropolitan centers. At present she lives in New Jersey with her husband and two children. She has worked at the University of Illinois, the Newark Public Library, and the Music Cataloging Section of the Copyright Office. Epstein, a native of Wisconsin, has degrees m music and library science from the Universities of Chicago and Illinois. The song was also adopted by the Confederacy, with the lyrics changed to extol the freedom of the Southern states.In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content: For example, a verse was added in support of Lincoln’s presidential campaign in 1864. As with many Civil War songs, it was adapted to include contemporary references. Originally written by George Root in 1862 for the Union cause, this was a very popular tune for soldiers and those on the home-front. The song pictured above is one of the most well-known Civil War tunes, The Battle Cry of Freedom. They are also common themes of family, death and loyalty. The songs produced contain contemporary references to specific military encounters and political debates during the course of the war. Many songs were shared by both sides with different lyrics adopted either extolling the Union and freedom or the Confederacy’s right to secede. Music was enjoyed by participants close to the fighting and on the home–front, and numerous songs were produced specifically about the conflict, or adapted from contemporary tunes. ![]() The American Civil War witnessed a wealth of cultural production that praised both Union and Confederate causes.
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