Music of USCT regiments.

[hamsalad]

What were tunes that would be commonly heard in a camp of USCT soldiers? I assume early gospel and hyms, but I do not know for sure.

Sam Levit

[brown]

Re: Music of USCT regiments.

I have seen a number of references to John Brown and also a song sheet for a "The Freemen's Song" which has a William Wallace inspired tune...

[hamsalad]

Re: Music of USCT regiments.

Could you direct me to these sources? I am helping organize a program about the USCT and one source will link to another.

Sam Levitt

[Anchor_Management]

Re: Music of USCT regiments.

An interesting question. I imagine it would vary somewhat depending on where the troops were from. Aside from the standard tunes that were popular during the period, working songs or anything else that may have been locally invented would vary from place to place (much in the same way different ships might have different shanties). Additionally, a soldier from Barbados would likely know different songs than one from Kentucky, or Baltimore, and so on. Did you have a unit in particular that you were wondering about? This might help narrow down the search, and get a more specific example. Just some things to consider.

[hamsalad]

Re: Music of USCT regiments.

A very good point. I am researching the 26th USCT from New York City. They would have been in contact with a lot of immigrant tunes.

[Sablearm]

Re: Music of USCT regiments.

Here's two songs. The first is the Marching Song of the 1st Arkansas. The second is "The Colored Volunteer" which was sung by the 54th Massachusetts. There are other songs that I have seen and I will have to dig for the lyrics and history behind them.

I would not rule out period spirituals because they were so much a part of how African Americans, particularly slaves communicated during that period. I have lyrics of period spirituals that I will pull out and post. Also, the history detectives did an episode on slave songs and it focused on a 1867 printing of a book of Negro Spirituals (http://www.amazon.com/Slave-United-S.../dp/1557094349). It is apparently the first compilation of slave songs and it is rich.

Nevertheless, here are the two songs that I can easily identify as being associated with USCTs.

Marching Song of the First Arkansas (U.S.C.T.)
(Captain Lindley Miller)

Oh, we're the bully soldiers of the First of Arkansas
We are fighting for the Union, we are fighting for the law
We can hit a Rebel further than a white man ever saw,
As we go marching on!

Glory Glory hallelujah (3x)
As we go marching on!

See, there above the center where the flag is waving bright,
We are going out of slavery; we're bound for freedom's light,
We mean to show Jeff Davis how the Africans can fight
As we go marching on!

We are done with hoeing cotton! We are done with hoeing corn
We are colored Yankee soldiers now, as sure as you are born
When the masters hear us yellin', they'll think us Gabriel's horn
As we go marching on!

They said, Now colored brethren, you shall be forever free
From the first of January, eighteen hundred sixty-three.
We heard it in the river going rushing to the sea,
As it went sounding on.

Father Abraham has spoken and the message has been sent
The prison doors be opened, and out the pris'ners went
To join the sable army of the African descent
As we go marching on



"The Colored Volunteer" or
"Oh Give us a Flag"

Verse 1
Fremont he told them when the war it first begun
How to save the Union and the way it should be done.
But Kentucky swore so hard and old Abe he had his fears
Til every hope was lost but the colored volunteers

[chorus follows]
O give us a flag, all free without a slave.
We'll fight to defend it as our fathers did so brave.
The Gallant Compn'y A will make the rebels dance
And we'll stand by the Union if we only have the chance

Verse 2
McClellan went to Richmond with two hundred thousand brave.
He said, "keep back the n________," and the Union he would save.
Little Mac he had his way -- still the Union is in tears --
NOW they call for help of the colored volunteers.
[repeat chorus]

Verse 3
Old Jeff says he'll hang us if we dare to meet him armed.
A very big thing, but we are not at all alarmed.
For he has first got to catch us before the way is clear.
And "that is what's the matter with the colored volunteer."
[repeat chorus]

Verse 4
So rally, boys, rally, let us never mind the past;
We had a hard road to travel, but our day is coming fast.
For God is for the right, and we have no need to fear --
The Union must be saved by the colored volunteer.
[repeat chorus]

Verse 5
Then here is to the 54th, which has been nobly tried,
They were willing, they were ready, with their bayonets by their side,
Colonel Shaw led them on and he had no cause to fear,
About the courage of the colored volunteer.
[repeat chorus]


George Hardy
Sablearm
Independent

[Danny]

Re: Music of USCT regiments.

Many USC troops were free blacks recruited from the Northeast. The abolitionists published a "Slavery Harp" in Boston, which would have been available to free blacks in the NE just before the war -- and they certainly all felt they were fighting to abolish slavery, despite being told the war was only to preserve the Union.

For Anti-Slavery Harp info go to http://utc.iath.virginia.edu/abolitn/absowwbahp.html

Of course those same men had informal camp time as well, and certainly staged the silly popular music of the time in their camps - Minstrel music. At least the ones without the "N" word in them, of which there dozens. Yes, before and during the war colored folks bought tickets to blackface Minstrel shows too, ignoring their black leaders like Frederick Douglass who lambasted the way blacks were depicted in some of the songs and plays.

One good place to see and hear pre and during Civil War Minstrel music is: http://minstrelbanjo.ning.com/

Dan Wykes

[Becky Morgan]

Re: Music of USCT regiments.

I'm currently reading this book by Thomas Wentworth Higginson, Army Life in a Black Regiment. If you haven't yet, it's at Gutenberg;

http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/6764

and he does refer to several songs he heard his men singing in camp.