Show lf rt I 1 I 1 lf tt f bati battle R hymns Hy YM mno bof the reau republic alic J 11 I 1 N THE civil war days of 1801 1861 mrs I 1 IN howe was visiting the army camps near washington when she received the inspiration for the verses which a ef 0 live lon gafter she was dead ble blending nd ing the emotions of religion and patriotism she wrote the battle hymn of we the Rep republic then the words were at to the music of tjoen john browns body jand and immediately the song was bearda heard throughout brough out the north i mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming odthe lord I 1 in back pirn parlors of attle cottages in obscure towns women sang ang those words while wheezy organs gasped out ih the eOne tune the music un kd them inspirit with their sons and husbands who had bud gone away to war soldiers chanted the same song as they marel fel along the dusty roads towards the distant booming cannons jor as they pa about their camp campfires fires through the long evenings it was a both religious and avas at a high pitch for those who wept to war there w was s the constant imminence of death tind and for those who stayed at home was the unceasing apprehension that their loved ones would be lost keyed 1 up as the people were they were quick to catch a song which expressed their feelings so well the war ended but the song lived and in the of time it found its way into the music books used by school children thus it became permanently manent ly numbered among our national hymns chicago tribune |