Saturday 16 February 2013
Tune of the Day: The Battle Cry of Freedom
American Civil War song
The “Battle Cry of Freedom” was written by American composer George Frederick Root in 1862, during the American Civil War. A patriotic song advocating the cause of the Union, it became so popular that composer H.L. Schreiner and lyricist W.H. Barnes adapted it for the Confederate States of America. The Union version was used as the campaign song for the Lincoln-Johnson ticket in the 1864 presidential election. The song was so popular that the music publisher at one time had 14 printing presses going at one time and still could not keep up with demand. It is estimated that over 700,000 copies of this song were put in circulation.