Those seeking a full account of George F. Root and his "Battle Cry of Freedom" (along with the work of other popular composers of the period) should direct their attention to a recent University of North Carolina Press book, Christian McWhirter's Battle Hymns: The Power and Popularity of Music in the Civil War.

McWhirter notes, "George Frederick Root's 'The Battle Cry of Freedom' debuted at a mass meeting in Chicago on July 26, 1862. The group setting of the song's first public performance created such a powerful effect that the crowd, despite having never heard it before, began singing along, and the piece soon became one of the North's most popular numbers."