Lyr Req: Who Guards the Camp at Night

Subject: Who Guards the Camp at Night
From: GUEST,Tim Murphy
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 10:20 AM

Hi - A friend is trying to find some info on a Civil War (era ?) song entitled "Who Guards the Camp at Night". It tells the story of Stonewall Jackson telling his troops to rest easy, 'cause he'll guard the Camp while they sleep... Supposedly this song was released as part of a compilation of Civil War Songs, but I have no other information. Any assistance / direction would be greatly appreciated... Thanks, Tim Murphy

Subject: Lyr Add: THE LONE SENTRY (James Ryder Randall)
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 10:27 AM

THE LONE SENTRY
by James Ryder Randall

'Twas in the dying of the day
The darkness grew so still,
The drowsy pipe of evening birds
Was hushed upon the hill;
Athwart the shadows of the vale
Slumbered the men of might,
And one lone sentry paced his rounds,
To watch the camp that night.

A grave and solemn man was he,
With deep and sombre brow,
The dreamful eyes seemed hoarding up
Some unaccomplished vow.
The wistful glance peered o'er the plains
Beneath the starry light,
And with the murmured name of God
He watched the camp that night.

The future opened unto him
Its grand and awful scroll --
Manassas and the Valley march
Came heaving o'er his soul;
Richmond and Sharpsburg thundered by,
With that tremendous fight
Which gave him to the angel hosts
Who watched the camp that night.

We mourn for him who died for us
With one resistless moan,
While in the Valley of the Lord
He marches to the throne.
He kept the faith of men and saints,
Sublime and pure and bright;
He sleeps -- and all is well with him
Who watched the camp that night.

Brothers! the midnight of the cause
Is shrouded in our fate,
The demon Goths pollute our halls
With fire and lust and hate.
Be strong, be valiant, be assured --
Strike home for Heaven and Right!
The soul of Jackson stalks abroad
And guards the camp to-night.

From:http://users.erols.com/kfraser/confederate/officers/jackson/sentry.html

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Guards the Camp at Night
From: MMario
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 11:14 AM

and another page at that site has this to say about the lyric:

"... poem was taken from Lizzie Cary Daniels' Confederate Scrapbook, published in 1893 for a memorial benefit bazaar in Richmond. As she described it:

"The Rev. Dr. Moore, of Richmond, in a sermon in memory of the beloved Stonewall Jackson, narrates the following incident:

"Previous to the first battle of Manassas, when the troops under Stonewall Jackson had made a forced march, on halting at night they fell on the ground, exhausted and faint. The hour came for setting the watch for the night. The officer of the day went to the General's tent, and said: "General, the men are all wearied, and there is not one but who is asleep. Shall I wake them?" "No," said Jackson, "let them sleep, and I will watch the camp to-night." And all night long he rode round that lonely camp, the one lone sentinel for that brave but weary and silent body of heroes. And when glorious morning broke, the soldiers awoke fresh and ready for action, all unconscious of the noble vigil kept over their slumbers."

Given Jackson's well-deserved reputation as a martinet who observed military rules and regulations to the point of occasional harshness, the incident recounted in this poem probably has no basis in fact. The poem does, however, indicate the almost mythological stature Jackson acquired throughout the Confederacy following his death after the Battle of Chancellorsville in May of 1863. "

I'd be interested in seeing a tune that would fit this, tho'

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Guards the Camp at Night
From: Sorcha
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 11:21 AM

Thank you Mario. I didn't see that or I would have copied it too.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Guards the Camp at Night
From: MMario
Date: 02 Aug 01 - 12:39 PM

De nada - I wouldn't have found it without your url...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Who Guards the Camp at Night
From: Burke
Date: 03 Aug 01 - 07:11 PM

Common Meter Double tunes will work with this. Given the subject & time period I think Resignation (aka My Shepherd Will Supply My Need) would work kind of well.