The war between the states, the Civil War,
was a big event in our nations history. If you want to understand
the thoughts and emotions of the men battling against each other and the
loved ones who waited at home for them, look to the poems and songs written
before and after the war.
Robert E. Lee once said " without music there
would be no army." Music was very important in the soldiers
lives because it entertained them. A lot of the music written during
the war, was shared and sung by Union and Confederate soldiers. Many
of the popular songs had different sets of lyrics written to them (depending
on what side you were on). Often the two opposing armies would be
camped close enough to each other to hear each other's band playing.
Sometimes this would lead to a friendly "Battle of the Lands." One
side played a song, then the other guy played the song, each trying
to play it better, faster, and louder than the first. Sometimes the
bands played music for each other. Music gave voice to feelings that
words could not express.
Poetry also played a important role in the
Civil War. Many soldiers wrote poems to pass the long days and nights
away from home. Most poems were about how they missed family and
friends and about how they watched their close friends die. Poetry
was often used to express their feelings towards the war. |
