"Battle Hymn of the Republic" (1861)

Commentary

"The Battle Hymn of the Republic" was a popular marching song among Union troops during the Civil War. Julia Ward Howe (1801–1876) wrote the rousing lyrics in November 1861. She set the words to the tune of a hymn composed by William Steffe around 1856. The tune was already an infantry favorite because of its snappy cadence and soldiers often created their own verses to match its tempo. Howe reportedly heard an obscene version of the song while visiting a Union army encampment and decided to write words more fitting the tune's origin as a hymn. Her "Battle Hymn" was included in Union Army hymnbooks carried by many soldiers. Its religious motif is interlaced with military themes, epitomized in the famous line "As [Christ] died to make men holy, / Let us die to make men free." The song represents the soldiers'...