Singing after the war

[RDDDR]

Hello, I am a pastor in Indianapolis. We have in our archives an original flier produced in 1869 advertising a concert being held at our church by the Union Singing Society. I am by no means a Civil War buff but felt that this forum was the most likely place to confirm or deny my thoughts on this. I know no more than what the flier reads and it gives no explanation of who the singers are, simply states their concert being held at our church. Am I correct (or is it likely) that these may well have been a group of men who had enlisted/fought together in the Civil War and became banded together by their singing? Were there such groups touring the country in those days? Does anyone know about this? Our 175th anniversary is coming up in a week and I'd like to know anything about this. Also, our Sunday school superintendent became a Captain in the Civil War before he returned home. Captain, Hezekiah Hinkson.

 

[JOHN42768]

Welcome, enjoy. Undoubtedly there were Vaudeville groups made up of groups of veterans, but no idea where to research this subject

 

[Michael C. Hardy]

Welcome! What is the history of your church? The term "Union" does not just imply connection to the war. In the western North Carolina county I live in, we had a "union" church connected to a iron mining town. Both the Baptist and the Methodist used the same building, hence, it was the "union" church.

 

[Library Lady]

Perhaps a local newspaper from that time would have more information. A local historical society or your local library might have the paper on microfilm/microfiche/digitized. It wouldn't hurt to ask. From what I can tell, the Allen County Public Library in Fort Wayne is like the Binny's Beverage Depot of Civil War books - if they don't have it, then you don't need to be reading it. They might be a good place to ask, too.

 

[7thWisconsin]

It also may have been a concert by the combined choirs of several local congregations, hence a ¨United ¨ or ¨Union¨ choir.

 

[RDDDR]

Thanks to the many of you who have responded. I may well try researching newspapers from the area, although if any of you have done such a thing, there might be 25-30 articles on just the front page with no semblance of order on the subject (at least that has been my experience). There's little info on the choir (singing society) but they are not made up of local congregations, that much is evident. Finding this group identified specifically in some paper, etc. is going to be a real challenge. Thanks all!

 

[NH Civil War Gal]

Here in NH, after the Civil War, many musical soldiers started bands. Here in Goffstown, NH we had a Coronet Band that featured an officer who was a Major Stark (I believe Major) whose great-grandfather had been General John Stark from the Revolutionary War and fought at Bunker Hill and Lexington and Concord, Mass.

Coronet bands and singing groups were big in New England during the 1870s, why not in the Midwest?