A hopeful Civil War song, 1862
words and music by Stephen C. Foster
A lesser known Stephen Foster song. A Civil War song he wrote probably after he moved to New York City. This was in the last few years of his life.
The sheet music:
Accompaniment by Werner Tomaschewski:
Lyrics
- There are voices of hope that are borne on the air
And our land will be freed from its clouds of despair
For brave men and true men to battle have gone
And good times, good times are now coming on
Chorus
Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!
Sound the news from the din of battle booming
Tell the people far and wide that better times are coming
- Abra’m Lincoln has the army and the navy in his hands
While Seward keeps our honor bright abroad in foreign lands
And Stanton is a man, who is sturdy as a rock
With brave men to back him up and stand the battle’s shock - Now McClellan is a leader and we’ll let him take the sway
For a man in his position, he should surely have his way
Our nation’s honored Scott, he has trusted to his might
Your faith in McClellan put for we are sure he’s right - General Lyon and Baker and Ellsworth now are gone
But still we have some brave men to lead the soldiers on
The noise of the battle will soon have died away
And the darkness now upon us will be turned to happy day - Generals Sigel and Halleck they have conquered in the West
And Burnside, victorious, he rides the ocean’s breast
The traitors and the rebels will soon meet their doom
Then peace and prosperity will dwell in every home. - Captain Foote is commander of the Mississippi fleet
For his flag he strikes and makes the traitors beat a quick retreat
With iron-clad gun-boats he makes the rebels run
While Grant makes our colors wave and glitter in the sun - General Fremont the path-finder never lags behind
He is gone to the mountains, new pathways to find
His voice is for freedom, and his sword is for the right
Then hail! noble Fremont the nation’s delight - From the land of the Shamrock there’s stuff that never yields
For we’ve brave Colonel Corcoran, and gallant General Shields
From Meagher soon we’ll hear, for we know that he is true
And stands for the honor of the Red, White, and Blue - Here’s health to Captain Ericsson, the Monitor and crew
Who showed the southern chivalry a thing they never knew
The Merrimac had slayed as St. Patrick did the toads
Till Worden with the Monitor came into Hampton roads
Sung here by Fred Feild: