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Lt. -Col. John McCrae's horse Bonfire, with McCrae's boots reversed in the stirrups, at McCrae's funeral in France, January, 1918. McCrae was the famed Canadian soldier-surgeon who wrote In Flander's Field. A veteran of the Boer war, McCrae volunteered when the First World War was declared and served throughout until he died of pneumonia and meningitis on Jan. 28, 1918. Note the high-angled spoon on the saddle cantle. The saddle also has a surcingle and pommel wallets. The photo is reproduced with permission from the film John McCrae's War: In Flanders Fields. With thanks to Todd and Pat for helping with the technicalities of reproduction and posting.

What is it about World War One that produced such good poets? It is as remarkable as it is tragic. I've bumped up the last Armistace Day post so that a few of those can be viewed..

McCrae, Kilmer. In Flander's Fields, In Memoriam, Trees. And I suppose Remarque's book All Quite On the Western Front. That generation not only gave its life to it's cause and era, but its soul.

Pat

In the past few years, I discovered Ernst Junger's "The Storm of Steel".

It is a true classic, though as a genuine hero of WWI, ithe Nazis later made use of his work.

"What is it about World War One that produced such good poets? It is as remarkable as it is tragic. I've bumped up the last Armistace Day post so that a few of those can be viewed.."


It may have been the hopelessness of trench warfare and the unimaginable carnage that it wrought. It seems to me that the common thread that runs through most of the poetry of the time was its melancholy and sadness in the expectation of certain death that is always overshadowed by a higher sense of duty. This seems to be, at least for me, expressed well in Alan Seeger's "I have a rendezvous with death."
It opens with, "I have a rendezvous with death at some disputed barricade, when Spring comes back with rustling shade.... and ends with, "when Spring trips north again this year, and I to my pledged word am true, I shall not fail that rendezvous. (I learned that in grammar school in the late 40s, and never forgot it.)

By contrast the American Civil War did not seem to generate the same depth of melancholy in poetry and literature. American CW and post CW poetry seems to be more lively and patriotic.

It may have been the hopelessness of trench warfare and the unimaginable carnage that it wrought. It seems to me that the common thread that runs through most of the poetry of the time was its melancholy and sadness in the expectation of certain death that is always overshadowed by a higher sense of duty. This seems to be, at least for me, expressed well in Alan Seeger's "I have a rendezvous with death."
It opens with, "I have a rendezvous with death at some disputed barricade, when Spring comes back with rustling shade.... and ends with, "when Spring trips north again this year, and I to my pledged word am true, I shall not fail that rendezvous. (I learned that in grammar school in the late 40s, and never forgot it.)

By contrast the American Civil War did not seeem to generate the same depth of melancholy in poetry and literature. American CW and post CW poetry seems to be more lively and patriotic.

Very insightful comments, that may well be it. I wonder if, in addition, there wasn't some sort of a societal shock at the level of carnage to the several generations (it was really more than one, as the discussion down in the poems thread relates) that had grown to expect that Europe had reached an age of civility in which these things would not occur. Perhaps the sense of duty, combined with the level of despair and shock over the war, combined to express itself in such great poetry, and some notable books, works of art, and even films. The experience of WWI being so freshly in mind might explain why nothing quite so comparable occurred in WWII.

On the Civil War, the lack of a comparative level of melancholy is notable. Given the nature of the war, it would be expected, but something seems to have operated against it. The Civil War did produce some achingly melancholy music, however. Lorena, the Civil War "Lili Marlene", is a real depresser if the words are listened to. And then there's the ballad about the empty chair (I've forgotten the name) that is really a downer as well. But these were contemporary ballads, and different somehow. Still, I'd have to think that being a Civil War soldier, singing Lorena after Tenting Tonight, and thinking of home might cause me to pass on my reenlistment when the time arrived.

Pat

There seems to have been an aesthetic of the melancholy during the mid 19th century, a sort of offshoot of romanticism. Remember that Goethe's <i>Werthor</i> was one of the most influential books of the Romantic era, and it was about a suicide when you get right down to it.

The Great War, on the other hand was the collapse of reoamticism and of many hopes and concepts of European civilization. I think this added to the conditions that Jim expressed. The sorrow in WW1 was real, and perhaps related to despair or a great sense of loss, not romanticism. It does have the ennobling qualities of duty and perserverence, which help make it bearable, Must admit, though, I find <i>Flanders Fields</i> and especially some of the others we posted like the one about the sons, to be very very difficult emotionally.

<i>Lorena</i> is a special case, by the way. It (or at least the poem) was written by a New England school teacher (or was it a minister -- I forget) who's love for Lorena had not been requited. In later years, he looked back with pain at what might have been, as the words say. It was a true experience.

There is something to be said for songs and poetry like <i>Lorena</i>, though. In an odd way, they sooth the soul and help us face the world. I have to admit, it is a special favorite of mine.

Joe



Edited by - Joseph Sullivan on 05/08/2002 23:35:09

Edited by - Joseph Sullivan on 05/08/2002 23:38:36

There is something to be said for songs and poetry like <i>Lorena</i>, though. In an odd way, they sooth the soul and help us face the world. I have to admit, it is a special favorite of mine.

It's one of my favorites too.

The song, I notice, shows up as background music in films a lot, or at least films of a certain era. John Ford seems to have really liked it. It shows up repeatedly in The Searchers, for example.

Here's a site with a MIDI version and the lyrics. The MIDI version is a little cheesy, in my opinion.

http://www.pdmusic.org/webster.html

Pat

And here's the WWII classic, Lili Marlene, which was popular with German, British, and American troops in WWII.

It has sort of an interesting history, having been a poem written in WWI, but not published until the 30s. A good reason to like it is that Joseph Goebbels hated it, and the Nazis actually attempted to ban it.

The site has the history of the song, lyrics in German and English, and multiple versions. I like the 1939 Lale Anderson version the best.

http://ingeb.org/garb/lmarleen.html

Pat

I like Lili Marlene, too, and can sing most of it in German. Once in graduate school a group of faculty and students went to a beer garden restaurant together. After a couple of pitchers (jugs to you English and Aussies and the like) and some wurst, I got the accordianist to play it. Among the faculty were former soldiers for both Germany and the U.S.. EVERYONE sang along, rocked back and forth, and asked for a repeat. Tears came to some eyes. It was that universal. Old as she is, Lili of the Lamplight has not lost her appeal, eh? The tune was also used as a marching song by some Wehrmacht units. Many of their songs were very sentimantal tunes that were simply put to marching cadence.

Joe

Where did the custom of putting the boots backwards in the stirrups originate?

Pat

I like Lili Marlene, too, and can sing most of it in German. Once in graduate school a group of faculty and students went to a beer garden restaurant together. After a couple of pitchers (jugs to you English and Aussies and the like) and some wurst, I got the accordianist to play it. Among the faculty were former soldiers for both Germany and the U.S.. EVERYONE sang along, rocked back and forth, and asked for a repeat. Tears came to some eyes. It was that universal. Old as she is, Lili of the Lamplight has not lost her appeal, eh? The tune was also used as a marching song by some Wehrmacht units. Many of their songs were very sentimantal tunes that were simply put to marching cadence.

Joe

I have to admit that I only recognize a couple of German marching songs. However, one I do recognize is Erika. I bring this up as, to my surprise, when I looked through the Chilean Army sites Oscar sent a while back, I found a section which had Chilean military music. Sure enough, Erika was there. When I clicked on it, the same song as the German march came up. No doubt this is a legacy of German military adivisers. Indeed, some of the photos Oscar has linked and posted show a dress uniform remarkably like that of the 1930s German Army, no doubt for the same reason. Still, with all the other tunes having Spanish titles, Erika surprised me, "Und das heisst. . .Erika. . ."

It's funny how long such influences last. A while back I caught a brief item on television depicting a Pakistani Army bagpipe band. They were excellent. It caught me off guard, but there it was, a lasting legacy to the British Empire. In the US Irish immigrants left an indelable imprint in the US Army with the tune Garryowen, which is used by two US Army (one a Guard) units. I dimly recall, perhaps in error, that The Girl I Left Behind Me is also an Irish tune.

And tunes live on in the military generation after generation, although sometimes in a modified form. I can recall She Wore A Yellow Ribbon, altered into a Jodi Call, being belted out by DIs and recruits at Ft. Sill in the early 80s. I imagine it was being similiarly belted out at every training station in the Army at the same time.

Heck, I suppose now that the US Army is in Afghanistan, I'll turn on the TV 20 years from now and witness a smartly marching Afghani unit with a sergeant crying out "Your Mother Was There When You Left. . ."

Pat

The route by which Garry Owen arrived in the US is interesting. this is a partial extract from a website

"It has been used by several Irish Regiments as their quick march. The Royal Irish Lancers, stationed in the suburbs of Limerick called "Garryowen," (The Gaelic word, meaning "Owen’s Garden") their drinking song. The words can hardly be elevating, but depict the rollicking nature of the Lancers, while in town on pay day in search of their peculiar style of "camaraderie." The following verses are set to the music of "Garryowen".

As far as it is known, it was most likely introduced between the years of 1861 and 1866. The first instance that we know of its use as a military quickstep by any military organization was in the early part of 1867, when it was played by the 7th US Cavalry Band. It was then that the music was adopted as the regimental air of that organization.

The late Mrs. George A. Custer, widow of Gen. Custer, had several times remarked to me that she first heard her husband hum and whistle the piece a short time after the regiment was organized at Ft. Riley, and that she believed the late Brevet Lt. Col. (Capt.) Myles Keogh, was in some way connected with introducing the song to the regiment.

While this cannot be taken as an absolute fact, it is not at all unlikely. Capt. Keogh’s father was an officer in the 5th Royal Irish Lancers, and the birthplace of Capt. Keogh, in Orchard, Carlow County, Ireland, is but a short distance from Limerick on the banks of the river Shannon, from whence much music and poetry has emanated. When one takes into consideration the close connection between Capt. Keogh and the Irish lancers, and his companionship with Capts. Henry J. Nowlan, Charles C. DeRudio of the 7th Cavalry, as well as Gens. O’Keefe and Coppinger, all whom served in the Papal Guard before they came to this country and joined the Union Army in 1861, one cannot help, but believe that such a boon comradeship had very great part in bringing the song "Gary Owen," to this country and to the 7th Cavalry."
(http://www.indianwars.org)

The Girl I Left Behind Me is even older -
"One source states the tune was popular as far back as Queen Elizabeth's (Elizabeth I) reign and was played whenever a regiment left town or a man-of-war set sail. Another theory is that the tune originated in 1758 when Admiral's Hawke and Rodney were watching the French fleet off the coast.*
The tune was known in America as early as 1650 and indicates it was a traditional fife tune, imported from England as Brighten Camp. The tune became generally popular during the Revolution.
The tune was known in Ireland as The Rambling Laborer and The Spailpin Fanach and was first published in Dublin in 1791."
(http://www.contemplator.com/folk)

Both tunes have good solid military and cavalry pedigrees going back centuries.


David Webb

David:

Most interesting post. Do tell more. Quite a few of us are interested in music. Jim Ott researched 19th century music for horse-mounted cavalry bands and produced a very nice CD of period arrangements played live by a brass band of period type. Rod Stewart sat in for part of the recording session, but that is another story, and one that Jim should tell.

Music is one of those things that connects people across the centuries. For me, there is nothing that better sets the mood, or triggers the historical imagination better than period music.

AND- I grew up riding horses to Garry Owen.

Joe

I don't know where the custom originated, but reversed boots are symbolic of the soldier's last ride, and that he will never ride again.


Stephen P. Wuensche
Captain, US Army
Field Artillery

Given as music has come up, I thought I'd try to post in this old thread, which might not work. If it does, it had a lot of intersting information in it.

Subject : The Minstral Boy (cav music) Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/16/2000 9:44:20 AM
On what other forum could a person read about literature, horses, music, cavalry and saddles? Wow!

Anyway, odd question here. I was watching an old movie awhile back in which a soldier sings a few bars of "The Minstral Boy" (I didn't know what the name of the song was, I had to look it up). I'm sure everyone has heard the tune before, it sounds rather Celtic to me. That set me to wondering what tunes were actually popular with U.S. cavalrymen in the 19th, and indeed the 20th Century. The movies depict the following: 1) The Girl I Left Behind Me; 2) She Wore A Yellow Ribbon (I remember hearing that one as a jody call at Ft. Sill in 82). I know that Hot Time in the Old Town Tonight was popular during the Spanish American War. What other tunes are known to have been sung by, or played to, cavalrymen?

Pat
Subject : The Minstral Boy, hear it sung Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/16/2000 9:48:46 AM
Here's the song being sung:

http://www.fishvet.com/~meledy/sing.htm
Subject : The Minstral Boy lyrics Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/16/2000 9:50:00 AM
Here's the lyrics:

http://holmes.acc.virginia.edu/~hlf/NEW ... l.boy.html
Subject : Garryowen Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/16/2000 9:53:58 AM
I guess I should have included this in my original list, obviously I haven't had enough coffee this morning.
Subject : The Minstral Boy (cav music) Author : t. elizabeth Date : 5/16/2000 10:41:11 AM
Pat --

The following are some songs that were connected with Stuart's Cavalry:
- "Jine the Cavalry" (basically a recruiting song)
- "Riding a Raid" (inspired by riding around McClellan)
- "The Cavalier's Glee" (lyrics composed by W.W. Blackford at Camp Wigwam in the winter of 1863-64.)
- They say one of Stuart's favorites was "Listen to the Mockingbird"; he asked that "Rock of Ages" be sung while he was on his deathbed.

Bobby Horton has recorded these songs on various Homespun Songs of the C.S.A. tapes and CD's. I have heard also that there is an artist named Joe Ayres (sp?) who has done some recording as well. Unfortunately, I do not know how to get ahold of Joe Ayres' music, but someone else might be able to help you out with that, possibly.

There are sites out there that have the lyrics, but if you can't find them, please feel free to e-mail me. I have copies of the words.

Hope this helps!

-- T. Elizabeth Renich
Author of the Shadowcreek Chronicles
Subject : The Minstral Boy (cav music) Author : Rick Throckmorton Date : 5/16/2000 2:05:59 PM
Don't forget "Fiddler's Green," and "Regular Army O'."
Fifteen or twenty years ago the Company of Military Historians put together a couple of record albums with popular military music. One was music from the old west and I believe, was titled simply, "Music of the Old West." The other had songs from the turn of the century up into the WW1 period called, "Songs With Hash Marks." Both were great...not the best singing you'll ever hear, but the song lyrics were good. One could post a guard mount using the first one...and the second has "The Cavalry Song" which lampoons every other branch of service while singing the laurels of the cavalry. "The Remount Song" is classic, too. It tells of the "high" points of riding remounts ("She could turn at the trot in a ten acre lot")over the years and ends up with the singer trying to sell you his fine new remount.
I have no idea if these albums are still available or not. Does anyone have an idea? Stephen M.?
Rick T.
Subject : The Minstral Boy (cav music) Author : Linneus Ahearn Date : 5/16/2000 3:22:33 PM
It takes a brave man to sing Garry Owen without getting tongue-tied and I have yet to hear it sung without a bit of slander to the words but the Minstrel Boy is old (Celtic definetly) and a good start for practicing for an eventual stab at Garry Owen. I haven't heard of the ones you mention, the more modern ones but they sound like fun!

Singing and riding seem to go hand-in-hand however. Ever notice how the horse moves in the same tempo as the song, especially when a band is playing during drill? Also, when nervous, singing or whistling a song keeps you calma and less likely to affect the horse with your nerves.

Lin
Subject : Oh to hear Author : mac Date : 5/16/2000 3:56:22 PM
Oh to hear the Irish Tenors perform these - wouldn't that be a wonder to hear!
Subject : The Minstral Boy (cav music) Author : Anita L. Henderson Date : 5/16/2000 5:46:17 PM
Dear Pat:

It sounds like you were watching the TNT movie the Rough Riders where all those songs were played. The Minstrel Boy actually dates to the 18th century and was a popular song during the American Revolution to the present. Many early American tunes have a heavy Celtic influence especially ones from seafarers and the Army due to the influence of Scotch-Irish and later Irish imigrants into these two occupations. Country music is a wonderful blending of Celtic, African and Anglo music traditions and reflects the nonnative peoples who originally settled the American South and later West.

Anita L. Henderson
Bugler 1st Ma Cav, Co A/4th US Cavalry
Subject : The Minstral Boy (cav music) Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/16/2000 10:05:03 PM
Anita, Actually the movie I was watching when I decided to look into "The Minstral Boy" was Peckinpah's "Major Dundee". There's a scene in which Richard Harris's character "Captain Tyrene" sings a bit of the song. I haven't seen The Rough Riders for awhile and I'd forgotten all those songs were in it, indeed if they have "Lorena" (and they might) they would really have a 19th Century martial music tour de force. "The Minstral Boy" sure shows up a lot on film though. Besides Dundee, it was in a film I caught the tail end of channel surfing in which Al Pachino plays a Revolutionary War soldier. I have no idea what the film is but a woman sings and hums it as the soundtrack for some really messy battlefield aftermath scene. I also, while again channel surfing, saw it sung in whatever the present version of Star Trek is (sorry, I'm not a Trekkie and didn't watch any more than that, so I couldn't identify it further). Does the song remain in military use at all? I do like it.

Lin, I've never heard Garry Owen sung, only played, but I think it also takes a good band to work its way around it. Indeed, many years ago know I heard it butchered nearly beyond recognition by a military band that'll remain nameless so as to not slander the present members. On that occasion, however, I was standing at parade rest waiting for my battery's turn to pass in review. As I stood there, the heat of a watered parade ground steaming me alive, and with the June sun baking through the camoflage cover of my steel helmet, I dimly heard the strains of an odd march. It sounded like the combination of a polka band and a Chinese brass band, at yet it seemed oddly familiar. Sure enough, after some time I realized it was Garry Owen, uff. I've always liked that song but what a disaster that rendition was. Ick. While I truely feel that many reserve and Guard units are excellent, that particular band would not be a case for practicing once a month. The best rendition I've ever heard was by a bagpipe player, playing for change, in downtown Denver.

Elizabeth, the Stuart songs I haven't heard. I wonder how many other Civil War outfits had songs unique to them.
Subject : Marching Music for the 7th Cav Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/16/2000 10:06:57 PM
A Garryowen link:

http://www.naples.net/presents/7thcav/legend.htm
Subject : Cavalry and 19th century top 40 Author : Joseph Sullivan Date : 5/17/2000 12:45:49 AM
Folks:

Jim Ottevaere published a lovely CD of Cavalry tunes played by a mounted brass band. I have enjoyed it immensely, but do not know if it is available anywhere JIM???

Also, the Smithsonian put out a boxed set of tapes a few years back of the music of the civil war. It is excellent, and has many of the items mentioned in earlier posts.

Joe
Subject : The Minstral Boy (cav music) Author : John Date : 5/17/2000 2:20:09 AM
It may be out of print, but I frequently see it at used book stores, try "The Drums Would Roll; A Pictorial History of US Army Bands on the American Frontier 1866-1900" by Railsback and Langellier. Arms and Armour Press, 1987. They categorize the music as follows 1. Patriotic tunes [eg. Battle Hymn, Hail to the Chief, Yankee Doodle]. 2. Marches and Quicksteps 42 listed [eg. Cavalry quickstep, The Gladiator, Massa's in the Cold Ground, 7th and 10th Marches]. 3. Popular Songs [eg Bonnie Blue Flag, When Johnny Comes Marching Home, Tenting on the Old Camp Ground]. 4. Religious Songs [Sweet Spirit Hear My Prayer]. 5. Dance Tunes 43 listed [many waltz's listed]. 6. Orchestral and Classical Transcriptions [eg Light Cavalry (Overture), HMS Pinafore]. and 7. Misc [eg Call Me Not Back form the Endless Shore, American Melody]. Try also the Library of Congress web site for period sheet music.
I suspect that the frontier army took their music very seriously, Grierson was a music teacher and the 24th Infantry band "...had a repertiore of about 1000 numbers and a music library valued at over $6000, in the late 1890s..."
Subject : Cavalry and 19th century top 40 Author : Jim Ottevaere Date : 5/17/2000 11:14:38 AM
The music that was included in the CD and Tape "Brass Mounted Army, Music of the Old Horse Cavalry" is available from the U.S. Cavalry Association either on their web site or at the Museum at Ft Riley. It is also available from a number of other musuems such as Ft A. Lincoln and specialty music handlers at reenactments and such. I keep a few here for those who can't find it anywhere else. Mac doesn't appreciate self serving ads and I agree, so if anyone is interested they can e-mail me for details.

The "Minstral Boy" was not included on the CD because it didn't arrange and score well for a 14 piece brass band. It is actually an Irish Revolutionary piece and is available at most large music dealers. Look for Celtic, Irish Revolution/drinking songs. It is one of the most often recorded pieces of this genre.

"The Minstral Boy to the war has gone, in the ranks of dead you will find him.
His father's sword he has girded on and his wild heart flung behind him"

That's all I can remember of the first verse. Maybe the rest of you can fill in the remainder.
Subject : The Minstral Boy Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/17/2000 11:26:13 AM
Jim, thanks for your post, do you know any more about the origin of the song? I figured it had a Celtic origin, but I wouldn't have guessed Irish for some reason, although harps are associated with the Irish. Very interesting.

According to the page I tried to post the link to above the words are as follows (I'm assuming, of course, that its in the public domain, given its antiquity, but all credit for typing it out and locating it is due to the page cited above, I'll try to come up with a better link).

Does this song still have any military use?


The minstrel boy to the war is gone
In the ranks of death you'll find him.
His father's sword he has girded on
His wild harp slung behind him.

"Land of song," sang the warrior bard,
"Tho all the world betrays ye,
One sword at least thy rights shall guard,
One faithful harp shall praise thee."

The minstrel fell, but the foeman's chains
could not keep his proud soul under.
The harp he bore ne'er spoke again
For he tore its cords asunder...

And said "No chains shall sully thee,
Thou soul of love and bravery,
Thy songs were made for the pure and free,
They ne'er shall sound in slavery."
Subject : Irish influence on military music Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/17/2000 11:45:32 AM
The Minstral Boy and Garryowen, of course, are both Irish tunes which have had at least some role as US military tunes (although I don't know if there was any official use of The Minstral Boy). Can anybody think of any other Irish tunes in US use?
Subject : Revolution Author : t. elizabeth Date : 5/17/2000 12:01:04 PM
Pat --

For what it's worth...
The Al Pacino movie you saw must have been "Revolution," 1985, stars Pacino and Nastassja Kinski. I have a VHS copy (somewhere in my apartment), but it didn't hold my attention and I cannot tell you the plot. Looked up a couple of the reviews on amazon.com and they were unimpressed with the acting, script, and Pacino's attempt at a Scottish accent. Anyway,it has something to do with the Continental Army, and I'm not sure if there is any cav. involved.

-- t. elizabeth
Subject : Revolution Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/17/2000 6:31:01 PM
Hmmm. . . Sean Connery must have been busy. I only saw about ten minutes of it, but I didn't realize that Pachino had a Scottish accent in it.
Subject : Songs of the Seventh Cavalry Author : Philip S. Date : 5/17/2000 7:02:38 PM
A few years ago I picked up a tape titled "Songs of the Seventh Cavalry." It was funded by the Bismarck (ND) Tribune for the benefit of the Fort Abraham Lincoln Foundation.

The tape includes the following songs:

When Johnny Comes Marching Home
The Girl I left Behind Me--The 7th Cav Band played this as they marched away from Libby Custer to meet there destiny at LBH
Shennandoah-Across the Wide Missouri
Soldier's Joy
Good-bye at the Door--along with "Annie Laurie," "Little Footsteps," "Doxology," and "For He's a Jolly Good Fellow" played the night before the Battle of LBH
Arkansas Traveler
Garryowen-a beautiful rendition sung by Debi Rogers
The Dreary Black Hills
Civil War Medley
Captain Jinks of the Horsemarines--a favorite of the enlisted men of the 7th Cav
Little Footsteps--sung to Custer the night before the LBH and a favorite of the officers
Annie Laurie--immensely popular with the troops, sung by Gen. Sherman's troops as they burned Atlanta.

The notes are condensed from the material attached to the tape.
Subject : Songs of the Seventh Cavalry Author : Joe Sullivan Date : 5/17/2000 7:42:27 PM
Actually, a good many of those were simply popular tunes of the time. They were used for the same reason that Glenn Miller played swing for the boys. It is what they wanted to hear, and some was adapted. Many are lovely tunes indeed, such as Annie Laurie, and one I don't think was mentioned "Laurina". Troopers in many cases had fine singing voices and loved to use them. McConnel in FIVE YEARS A CAVALRYMAN reports on much music. He first noticed it on the troop ship en route to Texas. He comments that it seems to be a rule that men who sang the most sentimental and even religious songs with the finest voices and deepest feeling tended to be the biggest rascals.

Interestingly, and almost completely off the topic, many German marching songs of the second world war were very sentimental favorites changed to a marching tempo.

Joe
Subject : Songs of the Seventh Cavalry Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/17/2000 8:52:54 PM
Interesting. I've read somewhere that a 7th Cav band played "Garry Owen" at Washita, but I couldn't locate the reference. I was unaware of any music being associated with Little Big Horn, other than the Girl I left Behind Me being played as the left Ft. Lincoln. As the muscians were left behind, the music must have been provided all by the troops.

Philip's references reminded me that an interesting discussion of Garry Owen is provided in Son of the Morning Star at pages 293-294. It seems that nobody is sure how the song came to the 7th Cav but one theory is that Miles Keogh introduced it. As part of the tale, an English unit was stationed near Limerick, and near his boyhood home, when he was young which also used the song.

Also noted in that book is that Thomas Moore added verses to the song, and converted it into "The Daughters of Erin" (I've heard another varient that has to do with horse racing, so apparently its been adapted to multiple scenarios). Recently I saw Moore credited with the verses cited above for "The Minstrel Boy", odd coincedence if true.

"Lorena" the popular Civil War song is an important one, and takes the prize for all time melancoly military song, not even "Lile Marlene" of the World Wars can beat it. The lyrics are the all time champs of depressing, yet compelling, verse. I can see why it appealed to soldiers.
Subject : Songs of the Seventh Cavalry Author : Bob Rea Date : 5/17/2000 10:03:18 PM
Pat,
The signal for the attack at the Washita was to be when the band
struck up "Garry Owen." As the story goes, the saliva froze up in
the mouth pieces pretty quick. I have always wondered if that was an
excuse to quit playing and draw revolvers as they followed George
toward the sound of the guns.
After holding off Indians all day, the plot was hatched to try a feint
toward the large villages down stream. As the column moved out the
tune played was "Ain't I Glad to get out of the Wilderness."
The ruse worked as the warriors fell back to protect their villages.
Either that or they just did not want to stay for the band concert.
To this day my Cheyenne friends cringe when they hear "Garry Owen" and vow
that its strains will never be played on the banks of the Washita, again.
As for the "Ministrel Boy" and Rough Riders, in the scene where
they are singing the song after O'Neil's death, there were large cue cards
with the words printed on them just out of camera.
Bob
Subject : The Fighting 69th Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/17/2000 10:04:22 PM
Of course, the Infantry uses Garryowen to. Here's the link to the Fighting 69th of the New York National Guard:

http://www.hourigan.com/~69thny/

At this page you can here Garryowen, or the "Rakes of Mallow". You have to like the 69th, they even have a Regimental Cocktail.
Subject : The Fighting 69th Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/17/2000 10:05:27 PM
That should be "hear" Garryowen, of course, not "here", fortunately I'm not a typist by trade.
Subject : singing in the cavalry Author : Philip S. Date : 5/17/2000 11:00:53 PM
In the preface to Gen Truscott's "The Twilight of the U.S. Cavalry," his son describes his father as follows:

"On several occasions over the years I noticed his eyes get misty when he sang with his friends. (Singing was very important to the young officers when they were growing up in the cavalry. Invariably when a group of them got together, they would sing before the night was over, and it seemed another of those elusive things that bound them together--like the horse, polo, and pride in their regiment.)"
Subject : Songs of the Seventh Cavalry Author : Jim Ottevaere Date : 5/18/2000 1:18:00 PM
It is likely that there is as much lore about how and when "Garry Owen" became the "official" song of the 7th Cavalry, as there is about anything else associated with Custer. So I'll add another local legend to the pot.

Custer was always attracted to martial music. When he was a captain on McClellan's staff he became particularly fond of a number of pieces that he heard played often by the regimental bands invited to perform at Mc's Headquarters. One of these was "Garry Owen", but because of its peculiar phrasing, it was almost impossible to sing by the average soldier and was not widely popular.

When Custer was appointed Commander of the Michigan Cavalry Brigade in June of 1863 he insisted that a band be present on all occasions, including the battlefield. On the top of his list of band favorites was "Yankee Doodle". This was played ad nauseum during skirmishes and was also the accompaniment to many charges made by the Brigade. Although the troopers of the Brigade complained often about the quality of the bands they were still able to sing along with the words of "Yankee Doodle" which took their minds off of the possibility of succumbing to a Rebel bullet. But try as he might Custer could never get the stubborn Michigan frontiersmen to appreciate the strains of "Garry Owen" or to learn any of its many verses. So it was not often played as part of the Brigade music program, and faded away.

Custer could barely hum the tune but it stayed with him and he mentioned it often, but he seems to have forgotten the title. So he referred to it as "that jig tune". In early 1867 he heard it being sung, hummed, played (take your pick) by some of his veteran Irish troopers and induced them to work with the band until they could reasonably reproduce the melody. Dispite there being at least 20 verses to the song, the melody is quite short and simple to play. Sheet music to match this tune was found, but it was the "Daughters of Erin" and not "Garry Owen" that was first used. But eventually it was the words and the robust title of the "Gary Owen" version, that stuck with the regiment. "Daughters of Erin" just wouldn't do for a fighting regiment. Especially with its romantic verses.

It was Libby Custer that opined that Miles Keough was likely responsible for reaquainting Custer to the tune, but she also said that she heard him humming or whistling the tune when they first formed the regiment at Ft Riley. But no matter how it came to be, "Garry Owen" is now synonomous with cavalry.
Subject : What were the bands like Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/18/2000 2:01:37 PM
Jim and Bob's references to the bands being present on the battlefield caused me to think of this admittedly ill informed question, how were the bands composed? By that I mean, what were they using for instruments.

Now I'm sure that sounds stupid, but for whatever reason I always imagine a martial band having the fairly typical assortment of brass instruments, but did they? I'm sure at some point they came to be brass bands, was that prior to the Civil War? In "Son of the Morning Star" there's a reference to Custer donating $50.00 towards the purchase of band instruments, which would have been a pretty tidy sum in the 1860s, what were they buying?

Part of what made me think of this is (worst of all) a movie reference. Bob mentions the band playing Garryowen at Washita, this is depicted, probably nearly entirely inaccurately, in the movie "Little Big Man". In that film the tune is played with fifes, which is a very appealing way to play it. But I always imagine this type of miliary band to be more associated with the Revolution.

So what did the bands consist of?

Pat
Subject : What were the bands like Author : Pat Holscher Date : 5/20/2000 10:01:43 AM
It dawned on me that the Langellier book, which I panned in the reviews, and am referring to here yet again, has several photos of bands. They're very interesting. On page 89, there is a photo of an Infantry band on the Utah expedition. Twelve men, it looks like they all have bugles, and are sporting mixed uniforms. Indeed, they don't look particulary military at all, except they all have uniform items.

There is also a photo of the West Point band prior to the CW. Its a great photo of a really diverse group age wise with a really snazzy varient of the standard uniform of the immediate pre war period. The drum major is wearing one of those large hats associated with the present day UK palace guard (busby?) They have an assortment of brass instruments common the era. On page 136 there is a CW era band, also with common brass istruments (some very large ones at that). They are wearing the light artillery cap, except for the drum major who is wearing another bear skin hat.
Subject : Brass Mounted Army Author : Pat Holscher Date : 6/8/2000 1:59:25 PM
I received and listened to a copy of this CD yesterday and it is simply outstanding. Highly recommended.
<http://www.militaryhorse.org/images/member_logout.gif> website by Velocipedia


Pat

Was the boots backwards in the stirrups common to Commonwealth military funerals of this time?

On the UP depicted,is this a typical variant for this era?

Pat

Bumped up in memory of those who passed in WWI.

Bonfire, which McCrae owned, with rider in happier times:

http://www.mccord-museum.qc.ca/scripts/ ... eID=232347

McCrae seems to be exhibiting what some would call a "chair seat".

Bumped up for Veterans'/Remembrance Day.

As sort of an ignorant question, on my part, how often would we expect a World War One physician to have a horse?