427
●
(MILITARY—CIVIL WAR.)
Group of five (5) Civil War Song sheets with
African American themes, four of them, hand-colored: Kingdom Coming * Old
Folks at Home * Kitty Wells * Gentle Maggie * Who Can Find Us Now.
Various
sizes (5 x 8 and larger); condition varies.
SHOULD BE SEEN
.Vp, circa 1861-1865
[400/600]
The Civil War saw the advent of the patriotic and humorous postal cover. But it also brought
with it, the song sheet. Just as the postal covers came in numerous designs, so it was to a great
degree with the song sheet. In fact the same stationer that printed the postal covers, more often
than not printed the song sheet. The song sheets very often carried lines on the reverse so one
could write a letter as well as send a song. Two of these sheets were printed by Magnus, a New
York stationer noted for the use of color.
428
●
(MILITARY—CIVIL WAR.) SONG SHEETS.
The Colored Volunteer *
The Contraband’s Adventures.
Two hand-colored lithographic song sheets, 8 x 5
inches; very slightly toned.
New York: Magnus, circa 1863-1865
[400/600]
429
●
MILITARY—CIVIL WAR.) FIRST ARKANSAS REGIMENT.
Song of
the First of Arkansas.
Song Sheet, 7
1
⁄
2
x 4
1
⁄
8
inches, trimmed from a slightly larger sheet;
paper toned.
[Philadelphia?]: Published by the Supervisory Committee for
Recruiting Colored Regiments, [circa 1863]
[350/500]
A RARE SONG SHEET FOR A COLORED REGIMENT
,
The lyric “We’re the bully soldiers of the
‘First of Arkansas’” follows the exact meter of the “Mine eyes have seen the glory of the Coming of
the Lord.” The First Arkansas Volunteer Infantry Regiment (African Descent) began recruiting
among former slaves in Helena, Arkansas following Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of January
1863, and was officially established on May 1 thus making it one of the earliest such outfits.
430
●
(MILITARY—CIVIL WAR.) HOWE, JULIA WARD
Battle Hymn of the
Republic, by Mrs. Julia Ward Howe.
Song sheet with engraving at the top showing
Liberty seated next to the American Eagle, 9
1
⁄
2
x 6 inches; paper evenly toned, some foxing
and light staining to the top portion.
[Philadelphia?] Published by the Supervisory Committee for
Recruiting Colored Regiments, [circa 1863]
[600/800]
The melody for this standard of the Civil War was first composed in 1856 by William Steffe
and the first words were “Canaan’s Happy Shore.” In 1861, the words were adapted to
“John’ Brown’s Body” at a flag-raising near Boston in 1861. Mrs Howe’s version appeared in
the Atlantic Monthly Magazine in February of 1862.
427
