Tune of the Day: Marching Through Georgia
This marching song was written by Henry Clay Work at the end of the American Civil War in 1865. It refers to U.S. Maj. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea late in the previous year to capture Savannah, Georgia.
Because of its lively melody, the song became widely popular with Union Army veterans after the war. Ironically, General Sherman himself came to despise “Marching Through Georgia”, in part because it was played at almost every public appearance that he attended. Outside of the Southern United States, it had a universal appeal: Japanese troops sang it as they entered Port Arthur, the British Army sang it in India, and an English town thought the tune was appropriate to welcome southern American troops in World War II.
Thanks to Steve for suggesting this tune!