The Battle Hymn of The Republic
               Lyrics  Julia Ward Howe     Music  William Steffe  1861

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Mine eyes have seen the glory
of the coming of the lord,
He is trampling out the vintage
where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He hath loosed the fateful lightning
of His terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

I have seen Him in the watch fires
of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar
in the evening dews and damps,
I can read his righteous sentence
in the dim and flaring lamps,
His day is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

I have read a fiery Gospel
writ in burnished rows of steel,
"As ye deal with My contemners
so with you My grace shall deal,"
Let the Hero born of woman
crush the serpent with His heel,
Since God is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

He has sounded forth the trumpet
that shall never call retreat,
He is sifting out the hearts of men
before His judgment seat,
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him!
Be jubilant, my feet,
Our God is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on


The following stanzas are presented
as sung by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 1960

In the beauty of the lilies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom
that transfigures you and me,
As He died to make men holy
let us live to make men free,
His truth is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

He is coming like the glory
of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty
He is honor to the brave,
So the world shall be His footstool
and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on



Interesting Facts About
'The Battle Hymn of the Republic'

- Julia Ward Howe wrote the lyrics to “The Battle Hymn of the Republic" after visiting a Union Army Camp on the Potomac River near Washington D.C. in December of 1861. Her ancestors were famous during The American Revolutionary War.

- While visiting the army camp, she heard a favorite marching song of the Union Army. The song was set to the melody from the parody song “John Brown’s Body.” The John Brown in the song referred to a Scottish Sergeant in the 12th Massachusetts Regiment, not John Brown the famous abolitionist.

- The song's melody was made famous before the Civil War by a South Carolinian choirmaster and organist named William Steffe. He is believed to have written the melody in 1856. The song was originally titled “Say Brothers Will You Meet Us.”

- Reverend James Freeman Clark challenged Julia Ward Howe into writing a poem with a more powerful message for the marching song.

- That same night Julia Ward Howe dreamed the first line and awoke with it on her mind in the middle of the night. She wrote the entire poem by candle light before dawn. She forced herself up from her sleep because she was fearful that if she did not immediately write the poem she would forget it.

- The Atlantic Monthly paid her five dollars for the poem and published it in 1862, James T. Field of The Atlantic Monthly named the poem “The Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

- The chaplain of the 122nd Ohio Regiment taught it to Union soldiers every where.

- It is said that President Abraham Lincoln was so moved by the song, he wept when he heard it.

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The above information was found by reading many accounts both on the internet and by going through song books. Students can make a list of search words related to patriotic music and social studies. These words can include names of Presidents, names of songs, phrases such as Civil War music, Revolutionary War music and patriotic music.

Students who cannot read should choose pictures that they want to post on bulletin boards. This site contains a music journal workshop with more ideas about teaching special needs students interactive social studies and music concepts. Select the Music Workshop Lessons Web Page to further explore these lessons.

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Reference Links and Bibliography

Abraham Lincoln:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln

Julia Ward Howe:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Ward_Howe

Battle Hymn of the Republic:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_hymn_of_the_republic

The Civil War Home Page:
http://www.civilwarhome.com/

'Patriotic Music
Companion Fact Book'
The Chronological History of our Favorite Traditional Patriotic Songs
by Dale V. Nobbman
CenterStream Publishing 2002

The Seventh Wisconsin Voluteer Infantry:
http://www.7thwisconsin.org/