Army Ballads GAR

Book

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Hancock Historical Museum

The image features the cover of a vintage music book titled "Boys Who Wore the Blue," prominently displayed across a broad diagonal banner. Beneath this title, the book advertises "Twenty Army Ballads" as "favorites of the G.A.R." (Grand Army of the Republic), indicating songs likely associated with Union soldiers from the American Civil War. The cover design includes ornate, decorative elements such as scrollwork, floral motifs, and symbols suggestive of military themes. Palm trees and scenic landscapes are depicted at the bottom, adding to the historical and artistic aesthetic.

The image features the cover of a vintage music book titled "Boys Who Wore the Blue," prominently displayed across a broad diagonal banner. Beneath this title, the book advertises "Twenty Army Ballads" as "favorites of the G.A.R." (Grand Army of the Republic), indicating songs likely associated with Union soldiers from the American Civil War. The cover design includes ornate, decorative elements such as scrollwork, floral motifs, and symbols suggestive of military themes. Palm trees and scenic landscapes are depicted at the bottom, adding to the historical and artistic aesthetic.

Name/Title

Army Ballads GAR

Entry/Object ID

2025.011.29

Description

Based on late 19th-century publications for Civil War veterans, "Twenty Army Ballads" (often titled Twenty Favorite Songs for the Grand Army of the Republic) refers to a collection of popular Union camp-fire songs and ballads. These songs, sung by the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic), were selected to represent the most popular ballads, hymns, and camp songs of the war for the Union. Commonly included songs in such GAR collections include: "Marching Through Georgia" "Tenting on the Old Camp Ground" "The Battle Cry of Freedom" "When Johnny Comes Marching Home" "Tramp, Tramp, Tramp (The Boys Are Marching)" "The Battle Hymn of the Republic" "Red, White and Blue" (Columbia, the Gem of the Ocean) "Bonnie Blue Flag" (often sung in UNION parody) "America" (My Country, 'Tis of Thee) "Auld Lang Syne" These collections were designed for campfire reunions and memorial services of the Union veterans who "wore the blue".

Collection

Civil War, Grand Army of Republic (GAR), William Mungen

Lexicon

Nomenclature 4.0

Nomenclature Tertiary Object Term

Songbook

Nomenclature Secondary Object Term

Book, Music

Nomenclature Primary Object Term

Composition, Musical

Nomenclature Sub-Class

Literary Works

Nomenclature Class

Documentary Objects

Nomenclature Category

Category 08: Communication Objects