--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 3 number: 5 published: 1900-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Origin of Some Popular War Songs," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 5 (March 1900): 328.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera35unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera35unse start_page: 328 end_page: 328 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1900-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera35unse publication_year: 1900 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1900, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Origin of Some Popular War Songs 328 IMPROVEMENT ERA. which man has derived what he knows of its laws. So with the work of the botanist, the physicist, the zoologist, and all others whose labor is with the laws of creation. It follows that, in their unity, the principles of creation can be comprehended only through an understanding of the design of Him who created the universe and originated the principles on which it is governed. Therefore, perfectly unified knowledge is impossible without a knowledge of God. The conclusions which are to be drawn from these arguments, will be stated and summarized in a subsequent paper. ORIGIN OF SOME POPULAR WAR SONGS. "The Battle Cry of Freedom," "Tramp, Tramp, the Boys are Marching," "Just Before the Battle Mother," and a score of other war-songs, were written by Dr. George F. Root. He did more for his country by his stirring songs of freedom than he could probably have done had he shouldered the musket. It was no ordinary feeling that his appeals inspired; they came from his pen aflame with patriotic enthusiasm and never failed to inspire the sons of freedom. In 1861, the Lombard Brothers were in Chicago for the purpose of holding a war-song meeting. They were anxious for a new song and their need inspired Dr. Root, who straightway wrote both the words and the music of "The Battle Cry of Freedom." The ink was scarcely dry before it was sung from the courthouse steps. One brother sang the verses, the other joined in the refrain. Before they finished, a thousand voices took part in the chorus. In the Reform excitement of 1867, in England, it became as well known there as in America.