german civil war songs

[J.H.Berger]

Dear Comrades,
I am searching for authentic German civil war songs that were definetely sung.
I know of course, Morgenrot and Kriegslied der Division Blenker but there have to be more.
It would be intersting to put together a CD with these sonngs here in Germany. There are so many Irish songs on the market but I know of no German song CD.
Any songs with lyrics and notes I could get a hold of which are proven to be authentic would be most welcome.
"Auf fuer Lincoln und die Freiheit!"
Viele Gruesse
J.H.Berger
Hornist

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: german civil war songs

Mark Jaeger had this to say concerning some German Wartime songs. I'm glad not everyone has to sing about their Celtic roots all the time.

http://www.authentic-campaigner.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54

It's on Page 2 of the thread.
Best,
Mark

[Ringgold]

Re: german civil war songs

Hornist Berger,

I have come across the songs you've mentioned, with Morganrot being the most common of the two. THE most common leid I have found in letters of Germans and "Dutchmen" serving during the War of the Rebellion was "Der gute Kamerad." It is often referred to as "Ich hatt' einen Kameraden" , which is actually the first line of the song.

The lyrics, as found in my Westentaschen Volks=Liederbuch (circa 1853), are as follows:

Ich hatt' einen Kameraden,
Einen Bessern find'st du nit.
Die Trommel schlug zum Streite,
Er ging an meiner seite
:,: In gleichem Schritt und Tritt. : :

Eine Kugel kam geflogen,
Gilt's mir, oder gilt es dir?
Ihn hat sie weggerissen,
Er liegt mir vor den Füßen
:,: Als wär's ein Stück von mir.:,:

Will mir die Hand noch reichen,
Derweil ich eben lad'.
Kann dir die Hand nicht geben,
Bleib' du im ew'gen Leben
:,: Mein guter Kamerad.::

There is no music in the book to accompany the words, but you can find it on the Web easy enough. I have NO idea what the :: or :,: things mean, but included them in case they were important.

From what I have read, it appears that Morganrot was more common as a marching song, and Der gute Kamerad was one of those maudlin campfire songs that were so popular at the time.

My little German Vestpocket Folksongbook is full of great lyrics for songs that would do well for a Soldat in the Civil War, but I can't document any but the ones we've already mentioned.

Morganroth is listed under: Reitermorganlied
It also lists the original Kriegslied

A few other examples are:
Das rechte schwert
Matrosenlied
Wer ist frei
Die Pflicht
Scheidelied (den auswanderern nach Amerika)
Waffentanz
Bundeslied
Schlachtlied
Gebet vor der Schlacht
Heil Columbia
Heimweh
Bundeslied vor der Schlacht

There is also the usual proliferation of hunting and drinking songs. I guess they could be a start, but alas! there is no music to sing them to . . .

[MarkTK36thIL]

Re: german civil war songs

Two Germanish sounding songs that I overlooked are "Corporal Schnapps" and "We Fits mit der Sigel"-(I think that's the name). So if your German pronounciation isn't that far along yet, these will be easier to sing. Than some of the others. Best,
Mark

[Justin Runyon]

Re: german civil war songs

Cpl. Fritz and I goes to fight mit Siegel seem almost like slightly racist songs of the day. The german equivalent to Uncle Ned and Zip Coon. I think hes looking for what German immigrants were singing at the time. Both the songs you mentioned are great tunes, I just dont see anyone but Americans singing them.

As for his pronounciation, check his profile, I think hes got it down :)

[J.H.Berger]

Re: german civil war songs

Hornist Berger,

I have come across the songs you've mentioned, with Morganrot being the most common of the two. THE most common leid I have found in letters of Germans and "Dutchmen" serving during the War of the Rebellion was "Der gute Kamerad." It is often referred to as "Ich hatt' einen Kameraden" , which is actually the first line of the song.

The lyrics, as found in my Westentaschen Volks=Liederbuch (circa 1853), are as follows:

Ich hatt' einen Kameraden,
Einen Bessern find'st du nit.
Die Trommel schlug zum Streite,
Er ging an meiner seite
:,: In gleichem Schritt und Tritt. : :

Eine Kugel kam geflogen,
Gilt's mir, oder gilt es dir?
Ihn hat sie weggerissen,
Er liegt mir vor den Füßen
:,: Als wär's ein Stück von mir.:,:

Will mir die Hand noch reichen,
Derweil ich eben lad'.
Kann dir die Hand nicht geben,
Bleib' du im ew'gen Leben
:,: Mein guter Kamerad.::

There is no music in the book to accompany the words, but you can find it on the Web easy enough. I have NO idea what the :: or :,: things mean, but included them in case they were important.

From what I have read, it appears that Morganrot was more common as a marching song, and Der gute Kamerad was one of those maudlin campfire songs that were so popular at the time.

My little German Vestpocket Folksongbook is full of great lyrics for songs that would do well for a Soldat in the Civil War, but I can't document any but the ones we've already mentioned.

Morganroth is listed under: Reitermorganlied
It also lists the original Kriegslied

A few other examples are:
Das rechte schwert
Matrosenlied
Wer ist frei
Die Pflicht
Scheidelied (den auswanderern nach Amerika)
Waffentanz
Bundeslied
Schlachtlied
Gebet vor der Schlacht
Heil Columbia
Heimweh
Bundeslied vor der Schlacht

There is also the usual proliferation of hunting and drinking songs. I guess they could be a start, but alas! there is no music to sing them to . . .

Thank you Mark!
So you have definetely evidence for "Der gute Kamerad"?
Actually it was first sung in the "Befreiungskriege" the Napoleconic Wars as far as I know.
The :: :: means repeat the verse. The song is well known to me. (doesn't fit here but some of ther survivors of the Bismarck had sung it when they gave the bodys of their fallen caomrades to the sea on Bord of Exeter? which was heartbreaking not only to their own comrades but to the british tars as well)
We have sung it in Gettysburg in '98 when we had joined the 96th Pa with 25 Germans!
Can you send me the lyrics of the other listed songs???
Regards
J.H.Berger
Hornist

[J.H.Berger]

Re: german civil war songs

Cpl. Fritz and I goes to fight mit Siegel seem almost like slightly racist songs of the day. The german equivalent to Uncle Ned and Zip Coon. I think hes looking for what German immigrants were singing at the time. Both the songs you mentioned are great tunes, I just dont see anyone but Americans singing them.

As for his pronounciation, check his profile, I think hes got it down :)

Thank you Justin!!
I can only agree.
thank you comrades.
Regards
J.H.Berger
Hornist

[J.H.Berger]

Re: german civil war songs

[QUOTE=Ringgold]Hornist Berger,



The lyrics, as found in my Westentaschen Volks=Liederbuch (circa 1853), are as follows:


Where was this Liederbuch published?
Jan H. Berger
Hornist

[markj]

Re: german civil war songs

Liebe Jan-Henrik,

By the way, I forgot to tell you that I own an original soldier's hymnal published by the American Tract Society of New York. The hymns were originally published in English but then translated into German for the benefit of "Dutch" troops. This particular work was initially published in 1861 and undoubtedly reprinted throughout the war although it seems to be pretty rare to my knowledge. I've only seen one or two other copies of this publication offered for sale on eBay over the past several years.

Bis spaeter,

Mark Jaeger

[J.H.Berger]

Re: german civil war songs

Hey Mark,
can you make me a copy of it?
The thought of trying to put together a CD with us singing the songs is rotating in my head. It would be nice for you pards as well.
I will try to record the prussian infantry bugle signals with me saying the german commands.
This would be a great enrichment for the hobby i think.
Vielen Dank Freunde, ich hoffe ich sehe euch mal in naher Zukunft!
Gruesse aus Deutschland
Jan H. Berger
Hornist

[Ringgold]

Re: german civil war songs

Thank you Mark!
So you have definetely evidence for "Der gute Kamerad"? . . .
We have sung it in Gettysburg in '98 when we had joined the 96th Pa with 25 Germans!
Can you send me the lyrics of the other listed songs???
Regards
J.H.Berger
Hornist

Hornist Berger,

I have one outstanding mention of Der gute Kamerad, but I need to set it up a bit. First I need to introduce the singers with this quotation from "Durell's Battery in the Civil War": [This occurred during the evening of November 14th of 1861] "The wagons carrying the camp equipage came up promptly, so that the tents were soon pitched and shelter obtained for the men, but there was no wood at hand for fires with which to boil the coffee. A battery of Germans from New York, beside whose camp the Ringgolds had pitched their tents, kindly made and brought over to the newcomers several kettles of this important beverage. It was served to the company, but it proved to possess such a villainously saline taste that no one could drink it. The Germans were very much mortified when they discovered that they had used salt with which to sweeten the coffee, and immediately proceeded to make a fresh supply, which was soon brought over and sereved with profuse apologies for the mistake. Thus was the bond of comradeship between the New York Germans and the Pennsylvania 'Dutch' formed and sealed at once."

Now that we know something about the Germans next door, here is an excerpt from a letter written from Camp Duncan, November 18th, 1861 by Quartermaster Sergeant Azariah Ratz of Durell’s Battery, P.V.: “. . . The morning work was slow to start to-day. This no doubt a result of many of the boys having spent too late in the camp of the New York battery near to us yesterday. We heard them most of the night singing until retreat and many still vocalizing as they walked their way back to our camp. It was good to hear the music yet. Captain Durell was with us [he and Orderly Sergeant W.P. Andrews] and joined their singing I had a comrade that made all in camp a bit sad. The Captain has a good voice as you are all aware back to home…”

The letter is not in my possession, unfortunately. All I have is a copy of the translation done by the person who sent it too me. Luckily she was a fellow “Dutch” here in Penna., so she understood the strange wordage. My many attempts to secure a copy of the original in the original German have proved futile. Sadly, she passed from this existence about 10 years ago and her heirs seemed to have spread her life’s keepings to the four corners of chaos. As is usually the case with documents written in German, they are undoubtedly languishing in a box of related items that is labeled as “junk” because the owner is too ignorant to have them translated. :baring_te

So! You were with the 96th P.V.I. for the 135th Gettysburg event! I was commanding the artillery section directly behind you lads. If you recall, there was much handshaking and smiling faces between the Dutchmen in the infantry and the artillery right before the great charge on the last day. You see, many of my boys as well as myself had all served in the ranks of the 96th early in our experience. Do you still have your cockade? :wink_smil

[Ringgold]

Re: german civil war songs

Where was this Liederbuch published?
Jan H. Berger
Hornist

Philadelphia:
Verlag von Schaefer & Koradi

The publication date is not given. The "circa 1853" is a best guess made by taking the opinions of 4 different antique book dealers in Philadelphia and averaging them. All but 1 of them were positive that it is pre-Civil War vintage.

It is most decidedly a vest-pocket book, as it measures only slightly less than 1 1/4" X 2 1/2" X 3 3/4" in size. It is in a rather fragile state, so scanning or photocopying may bit a bit too dangerous. I would be happy to transcribe the lyrics for you. I will try to make digital pictures of the pages and see if that is a viable alternative. If not, my digits will get a thorough workout! It's roughly 260 pages in length, but the type is rather small. (Übrigens, können Sie "alten Deutschen schrift" lesen?)

The book was once owned by a gentleman by the name of Charles H. Gerhart, who penciled his name onto two of the last pages at some point. It looks like a young man practicing his signature, as the two entries vary slightly and are very flamboyant. It came into my possession through the wishes of one of my Gehman relatives, and who knows where THEY got it.

Bis später,
mach's gut, mein Kamerad!

[markj]

Re: german civil war songs

This tune is rather obscure but maybe someone will be able to identify it:

[On September 27th, 1862, while marching to the fortifications on the south side of Covington, KY] This was our first march of any distance, and the boys were pretty well done up with when we stopped. We had reason, however, to thank some of the members of Co. F for starting up a German song just at a time when the spirits of the boys were very low, which seemed to act like a charm and put new life into all who heard. I wish I could have understood the song; the chorus sounded to me something like the following, and I had a faint idea of what was meant by the words:
Und de bix a mis a knolla,
Und de rebels mis a folla,
In de’ Sout, in de Sout, in de Sout. (p. 16)

SOURCE: Camps and Campaigns of the 107th Regiment [“5th German”] Ohio Volunteer Infantry, From August, 1862 to July, 1865, Jacob Smith, Company D, 107th Ohio Volunteer Infantry, (reprint of c.1910 edition, Navarre, OH: Indian River Graphics, 2000. ISBN: 0-9704760-0-0. Based on a wartime diary (extensively rewritten several years afterward)

Regards,

Mark Jaeger

[Ringgold]

Re: german civil war songs

Und de bix a mis a knolla,
Und de rebels mis a folla,
In de’ Sout, in de Sout, in de Sout. (p. 16)

Perhaps:

Und ein Bißchen knallen,
und die Rebels missfallen,
Im die Süd! Im die Süd! Im die Süd!

Very roughly:

And a few little [musket] cracks,
and the Rebels are displeased,
In the South! In the South! In the South!


The first line's a bit sketchy, but the only other thing I could think of would mean "and a mouthfull of root". :embaresse

Was Denk'st, alle?

[Curt Schmidt]

Re: german civil war songs

Hallo Kameraden!

"Ich hatt' keine Kameraden..." ;-)

Oh no, I have a funeral dirge playing over and over again in my head.
I am going to sit out a spell, and let it pass.

Curt-Heinrich Schmidt
Immer Nicht Singen Mess