by J. William Jones 1836-1909

Deep Harmony

In the midst of the US Civil War, a simple melody briefly brought the warring factions together.

Events of 1863

Queen Victoria 1837-1901 Grover Cleveland, US President 1893-1897

Introduction

J. William Jones was a Baptist minister and former chaplain to the Confederate Army in the US Civil War. While in Chattanooga, Tennessee, attending the Southern Baptist Convention held there on 8th-14th May, 1896, Jones was asked to give a speech at a state school, during a ceremony honouring the Union flag. These were his closing remarks, as given in Confederate Veteran magazine that August.

by J. William Jones 1836-1909

That was a touching scene upon the Rappahannock when the Confederate and Federal armies confronted each other on the opposite heights of Spotsylvania and Stafford.* One beautiful evening there came down to the northern bank a magnificent Federal band, and begun to discourse sweet music. Large crowds of soldiers of either army gathered on the opposite banks, the friendly pickets not interfering. First they played United States National airs, such as “Star Spangled Banner”, “Hail Columbia”, “Yankee Doodle”, and the like, and as one of these would cease the “Boys in Blue” would give their measured “Hip, Hip, Hurrah!” And then, in compliment to their friends across the river, the band played “Bonny Blue Flag”, “Dixie”, “My Maryland”, and others of our Southern melodies, and as one of these ceased the “Boys in Gray” would give their indescribable but never-to-be-forgotten “old Confederate yell”.

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* This event took place on the Rappahannock River in Virginia during the weeks immediately following the Battle of Chancellorsville, April 30th to May 6th, 1863. It was retold in a popular war poem by John Reuben Thompson (1823-1873) as Music in Camp, written shortly after the events described, which helps to explain why Jones spoke of it as something everyone would recognise.

Précis

In 1863, soldiers of the two opposing sides in the US Civil War were encamped across from one another along the banks of the Rappahannock River in Virginia. Suddenly, a Union band struck up patriotic tunes. When the song was from the North, the Union soldiers cheered; when it was from the South, the Confederates cheered.

Sevens

Suggest answers to this question. See if you can limit one answer to exactly seven words.

Which side cheered ‘Yankee Doodle Dandy’?

Suggestion

The soldiers of the Union cheered it.

Jigsaws

Express the ideas below in a single sentence, using different words as much as possible. Do not be satisfied with the first answer you think of; think of several, and choose the best.

The band played songs from the North. They played songs from the South. The band was a Union band.

See if you can include one or more of these words in your answer.

IConfederate. IIConfine. IIIRepertoire.

Clay Lane The Copybook

Deep Harmony

Introduction

Related Video

Précis

Sevens

Jigsaws