“Let Us Die to Make Men Free”

O' Be Joyful

Sergeant Major
From the resurrected American Heritage magazine (sidenote, please consider making a contribution to help them continue their mission, which we all here cherish, History)



“Let Us Die to Make Men Free”


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The earliest photograph of the House of Representatives shows how it appeared around 1861. Brady-Handy Collection, Library of Congress.

Tears ran down the cheeks of Abraham Lincoln when he heard the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” sung in Congress by a chaplain who had survived a Confederate prison. It would become the most famous literary production of the Civil War.
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President Lincoln arrived late. By the time he and the First Lady took their seats in the House chamber, they had missed the evening’s convening prayer and Vice President Hannibal Hamlin’s opening remarks. The Philadelphia merchant George Stuart was well into his speech when the audience spotted the Lincolns and greeted them with “a tempest of applause” followed by a standing ovation that brought the proceedings to a temporary halt.


Lincoln attended a celebration honoring the US Christian Commission, which provided medical services, goods, and religious materials to Union troops.

This was a rare public appearance for the president in 1864. He found it hard to take time away from his duties as commander in chief nearly three years into civil war. But he accepted Stuart’s telegraphed invitation to join the other dignitaries that evening in early February. The celebration in the House of Representatives marked the second anniversary of the United States Christian Commission. The order of events differed little from a worship service.


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One DC newspaper described the crowd as “composed, in great part, of the religious element of the city.” They had come to reaffirm their faith in the Union war effort and renew their commitment to serve soldiers and their families. The wartime mix of state, church, and military was on full display. The audience heard from preachers and laymen active in founding and running the commission and dignitaries including the Speaker of the House Schuyler Colfax of Indiana.

(snip)


The highlight of the evening for Lincoln, and certainly for others in the House chamber, was a rendition of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Chaplain Charles C. McCabe, a frequent speaker and fund-raiser for the Commission. In 1862, while chaplain of the 122nd Ohio Infantry, McCabe had been captured by Confederate forces and taken to Libby Prison in Richmond. He was there on July 6, 1863, when news reached the inmates of the Union victory at Gettysburg.

For the full article:

https://www.americanheritage.com/let-us-die-make-men-free


 
From the above link:

“Applause greeted the ending of nearly every stanza,” the account continued, “and in the last, before reaching the chorus, the pent up enthusiasm could be restrained no longer, but burst forth in a torrent of exultant shouts and cheers that made the Hall ring to the roof.”
Soon, President Lincoln shouted, “Sing it again!” and Vice President Hamlin announced that McCabe would repeat his performance. Before he did so, McCabe delivered a charge to the president from a fellow Libby prisoner “in the name of the martyrs of Liberty”: “Tell the President not to back down an inch.”
Lincoln replied, “I won’t back down.”
Shouts of “Amen!” came from the crowd. The uproar and the whole evening were unlike any spectacle most had ever witnessed.
 
The highlight of the evening for Lincoln, and certainly for others in the House chamber, was a rendition of the “Battle Hymn of the Republic” by Chaplain Charles C. McCabe, a frequent speaker and fund-raiser for the Commission. In 1862, while chaplain of the 122nd Ohio Infantry, McCabe had been captured by Confederate forces and taken to Libby Prison in Richmond. He was there on July 6, 1863, when news reached the inmates of the Union victory at Gettysburg.

I read that sadly in 1865 Chaplain Charles McCabe, would journey to Illinois and sing one more time for President Lincoln; at his funeral service.

Edited to add -
one other little tidbit; when the Chaplain was singing at Libby it was reported that “after a few resounding choruses of Glory, glory, hallelujah!" the guards put a stop to the singing”.
 
I read that sadly in 1865 Chaplain Charles McCabe, would journey to Illinois and sing one more time for President Lincoln; at his funeral service.

Edited to add -
one other little tidbit; when the Chaplain was singing at Libby it was reported that “after a few resounding choruses of Glory, glory, hallelujah!" the guards put a stop to the singing”.

Thank you for that addition @DBF . I was totally unaware of this entire story until I received an e-mail from American Heritage, with numerous articles, this morning and was so moved by it I felt the duty to share it.
 
My parents had a subscription to American Heritage. I remember spending rainy days ' in the stacks ', in Dad's study. Yes, I'm old enough to have a father whose study was pre-guy cave, the big desk, book shelves floor to ceiling and a wooden file cabinet. We still have some somewhere, in those days we had row on row of them. Are they still hardback?

Thanks for the story and reminder.
 
My parents had a subscription to American Heritage. I remember spending rainy days ' in the stacks ', in Dad's study. Yes, I'm old enough to have a father whose study was pre-guy cave, the big desk, book shelves floor to ceiling and a wooden file cabinet. We still have some somewhere, in those days we had row on row of them. Are they still hardback?

Thanks for the story and reminder.
I loved those. They went softcover some time in the 70s. Very sadly we had to get rid of them when we cleaned out my parents' house. I'm glad to see a new version of my beloved American Heritage.
 
It always moves me and gives me a tingle up the spine, in the same way The Star Spangled Banner does.

Atten: @Cody C. Engdahl as this bears upon your recent thread.


"Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men."--George S. Patton

Wow! Best video rendition of the Battle Hymn I've seen. Thanks for posting this.
 
Thank you very much for sharing this.

Thanks are due to American Heritage magazine, which I subscribed to for years before the original ceased publication, all credit belongs to them. I am a mere messenger of things in our history that I was unaware of before.

That was one of the many reasons I originally subscribed, great writers, and great largely unknown stories of history. The pleasure was mine.
 
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