For those interested in continuing this discussion, I invite you to visit "my" Civil-War Music Forum at: Where a number of subtopics are covered, including songs, instruments, fife & Drum, and events.
Commenting on previous postings: For the Teacher working on the ACW project with children; you might want to have them learn (perhaps give individual students a verse to memorize and sing in turn, while all join in on the chorus) "Richmond am a Hard Road to Travel", which is a parody song of the several bungled Union attempts to take the Confederate Capitol. The tune is the popular Minstrel tune "Jordan am a Hard Road..." and is a lively air which lends itself well to syncopated hand-clapping, and spoon/tamborine rythm. It is also a musical history lesson!
A couple of resources mentioned which I would add my testimonial to include the SILBER book, which I consider my "Civil-War Music 101 Text". It contains a good cross section of military and popular music in do-able arrangements and (mostly) reasonable keys, with guitar chords provided. If you can do 1/4 of the songs in there reasonably well, especially with authentic instrument accompaniment, you should be welcome around any CW Reenacting campfire, and your dipper will likely stay full!
Of the many albums, probably my favorite is David KINCAID's "The Irish Volunteer". It's a fairly limited genre, but his voice stands head & shoulders above the vast majority of the other Reenactors who fancy themselves as "Musicians" and promply go about selling tapes and CDs. Sgt.K's instrumentation is done with homestyle virtuosity on authentic period or replica instruments, unlike the "97th String Band" who use flat-top steel-strung guitars and modern bluegrass banjos. Oh how I wish that David K. would start rolling out MORE!!
Somebody mentioned that banjos were all 4-string or "tenor" units during the CW; to my studied understanding, the more common banjos were 5-string (gut) with fretless necks, friction pegs, calfskin heads, and larger (up to 14" dia.) hoops than we have nowadays. The banjo was much more popular in America at the time than was the guitar, which was just becoming accepted thanks largely to the efforts of Mr. Justin HOLLAND whose performance and teaching of an "Americanized" version of the Classical technique of guitar was just catching on about the time of the ACW. I have a later (1880) printing of his Instruction Book from which I try to develop a "period" fingerpicking technique. Guitars were of the small-bodied "Parlor" type which remained popular in the U.S. through the 1930s. It seems that a few Luthiers are starting a "comeback" of the little "Parlors" which should be good news to Reenactors, as originals in any kind of condition are getting hard to come by. I'm not sure but what Martin may have re-introduced one of it's earlier models. My Parlor guitar is also gut-strung, as were most guitars back then. It has a unique feel and tone, especially on the little guitar, and anyone wishing to reproduce that authentic sound would be well advised to invest in and string up with a good set.
I also notice mention of "Rock Me to Sleep, Mother" in a period diary; The lyrics of this piece were written by a Portland ME woman, Elizabeth Akers ALLAN, who was a CW Correspondant as well as a Poetess and Sculptress. She never got credit for her work in the publications of the song, and went through an arduous and generally fruitless court case to try to recover royalties. We dug up a copy of the music (there are several versions, some of which can be found in the LEVY Collection)in the attic of the 5th ME Regimental Retreat on Peak's Island in Casco Bay, and it is a lovely, haunting lullaby which was apparantly quite popular in it's day, but which has been heard by very few currently alive today. If it's not on the DB, drop me e-mail and I can post you a scanning or transcription. I thrashed out chords to it which seem to work pretty well, but it is not a particularly easy piece. Another interesting song written by a Mainer is "The Corporal's Musket" which surfaced at the Redmond Museum along with other family artifacts. A Mr. LOCKE from Bethel ME wrote "Marching on to Richmond" early in the War - a fairly catchy, albiet prematurely optomistic - patriotic theme.
I have accumulated a modest collection of American music in various forms - mostly books and hymnals - from 1800 to around the turn of the Century, including some CW - themed songs that I've never heard of before. Many of these are pretty nondescript and probably deserved their plunge into obscurity.. but every now and then we uncover a pretty neat little tune! If there is a way to post scanned scores on here, let me know, as I wouldn't mind sharing some of these discoveries with fellow Folkies who share an interest in that period of History and it's music. Most of you could do them a lot more justice, I suspect, than can I. Perhaps we can schedule a "Civil War Hearme" Night - perhaps Nov. 11, Memorial Day? What thinkest Thou?
For God and Country:
John "Uncle Jaque" Clarke, Fifer
3rd Regiment MAINE Volunteer Infantry

Fife & Drum Corps