(Version No. 1) (Version No. 2) (Version No. 3; aka "The President's Proclamation," lyrics by Edna Dean Proctor, c. 1863)
On Sunday, 16 Oct 1859, John Brown led fourteen whites and four blacks in a raid on the Harper's Ferry, VA, arsenal and rifle factory, hoping to spark a slave rebellion. After two days of barricading themselves in the enginehouse, with ten selected prisoners (prominent slaveholders) as hostages, John Brown and his followers were overwhelmed by a storming party of United States marines under the command of Colonel Robert E. Lee.
Brown was tried, convicted of treason, and hanged in Charlestown, VA, on 2 Dec 1859.
About 1856 William Steffe of South Carolina wrote a camp-meeting song with the traditional "Glory Hallelujah" refrain. It started with the words "Say, brothers, will you meet us on Canaan's happy shore?" The tune had such an infectious swing that it became widely known.Early in the Civil War, a regiment stationed in Boston [Second Battalion of Massachusetts Infantry at Fort Warren] included a soldier named John Brown. This regiment using Steffe's tune sang about the fiery John Brown of Kansas who shortly before had made his stand against slavery, but directed it as a jest toward their contemporary John Brown.
Four men of the unit formed a quartet, and it was from this glee club that the entire company learned the Methodist hymn....
As it happened, one of the singers... was an honest and simple Scottish sergeant named John Brown, who was the good-natured butt of their jokes. Finally, a jest was made of his similarity with the great Abolitionist. This is how the verses of the John Brown Song, as it came to be known, originated.
One evening..., the query was shouted, "What's the news?", and promptly the retort came, "Why, John Brown's dead," leading to the first verse....Referring to the frequent tours of guard duty and dress parades, someone added:
"John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back."Since the regimental chaplain was fond of calling the volunteers "The army of the Lord," the verse
"He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord"quite naturally followed.The battalion... often called itself "Webster's cattle," after the name of its commander..., hence the verse:
"His pet lambs will meet him on the way."On March 1, 1862, at Charlestown, Virginia, on the spot where John Brown was hanged, the Webster regiment formally sang John Brown's Body in his memory. By that time the tune was taken up by the nation, and hundreds of soldiers were marching into battle with the name of John Brown on their lips....
As the war progressed..., Confederate President Jefferson Davis became a hated symbol, calling for an added verse:
"They will hang Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree."Later, as Union soldiers trudged many a long and weary mile, they sang with patriotic flourish a final added verse:
"Now, three rousing cheers for the Union,
As we are marching on!"As in the case of Dixie, attempts to provide intelligent words... to replace the foolish stanzas resulted in failure. Edna Dean Proctor's version seemed ill-fitted to the tune....
Only Julia Ward Howe was able to produce verses of dignity to the old tune.
CHORUS:
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
Glory, glory, hallelujah!
His soul is marching on.
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
His soul is marching on!
John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back,
John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back,
John Brown's knapsack is strapped upon his back,
His soul is marching on!
His pet lambs will meet him on the way,
His pet lambs will meet him on the way,
His pet lambs will meet him on the way,
They go marching on!
They will hang Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree,
They will hang Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree,
They will hang Jeff Davis to a sour apple tree,
As they march along!
Now, three rousing cheers for the Union,
Now, three rousing cheers for the Union,
Now, three rousing cheers for the Union,
As we are marching on!
CHORUS:
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
Glory! Glory! Hallelujah!
His soul goes marching on.
He captured Harper's Ferry with his nineteen men so true;
He frightened old Virginia 'til she trembled through and through.
They hanged him for a traitor, themselves the traitor's crew,
His soul goes marching on.
The stars above in Heaven are a-lookin' kindly down,
The stars above in Heaven are a-lookin' kindly down,
The stars above in Heaven are a-lookin' kindly down,
On the grave of old John Brown.
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
He's gone to be a soldier in the army of the Lord,
His soul goes marching on.
CHORUS:
John Brown's body lies a-mouldering in the grave;
John Brown lives in the triumphs of the brave;
John Brown's soul not a higher joy can crave --
Freedom reigns today!
