Civil War Band Music

We have often heard that an army marches on its stomach. This may be true but a military regiment (army, militia, etc.) relies on much more than the regimental cook to kkep them going; especially when times get rough. The history books are filled with the escapades of soldiers while fighting and the unit commanders; but seldom is anything mentioned about the support staff - cooks, photographers, journalists, and musicians.

We've all seen the movie with the drum and fife core leading a regiment down the road as the men march. This was only a small part played by the regimental musicians in the early days of war in the United States. During the Civil War units routinely carred a full brass and percussion band with them on the march. Occasionally wind instruments were also used. In some cases the town band would join up with the local militia and travel as a part of the unit or as in some units in the Confederate Army the commanders allowed for personel to sign up but as the unit musician not a fighting soldier.

Battles during the Civil War were brutal. There were times when brother fought brother or other family members were on opposite sides of the issue. It was important for moral that the unit band play in the evenings or for long periods of waiting in camp.

The most famous pieces of music to come out of this era were "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", "Dixie", and "The Battle Hymn of the Republic", and the various military unit songs like "Anchor's Away" and the "Marine Hymn". Of course, "Taps" has been a standard in military life by all units.

Each unit would have their own theme song that would identify them to other units or civilians just like their unit patches. Other popular pieces of band music during the Civil War are:

"The Yellow Rose of Texas"

"The Cruel War"

"Garry Owen"

"The Girl I Left Behind Me"

the Celtic song "The Minstrel Boy"

"Unreconstructed Rebel (I'm A Good Ol' Rebel)"

"Bonnie Blue Flag"

"Rose of Alabamy"

"All Quiet Along the Potomac"

"Red River Valley"

"The Lakes of Pontchartrain"

"The Navy Hymn"

"The Balloon Corps Hymn"

"The Irish Brigade Medley"

"Tramp, Tramp, Tramp"

"Follow the Drinking Gourd"

"Balltle Cry of Freedom"

"The Battle of Shiloh's Hill"

"Brave Boys They Are!"

"The New York Volunteer"

"Sixty-Three is the Jubilee"

"Stonewall Jackson's Way"

"Kathleen Mavourneen"

"Jefferson and Liberty"

"My Old Kentucky Home"

"Marching Through Georgia"

"Yankee Doodle"

"The Hunters of Kentucky"

"Darling Nelly Gray"

"She Wore A Yellow Ribbon" (used in the movie starring John Wayne by the same name)

"John Brown's Bo"

"The West Point March".

Samples of these songs can be heard at http://home.att.net/~dmercado/ music.htm.

Some of the songs listed are obscure and unknown to all but the Civil War buff; while others are very familiar to us all. The most well known of these is our very own National Anthem otherwise known as "The Star Spangled Banner".