On our website, Civil War Music History, you'll find the music that gave to a divided nation the courage and ambition to defend, to sacrifice, to fight and even to die for the cause, whether it be North or South.

Authentic Arrangements Dr. Robert Keith Briggs, an expert of Eastern American music of the early 1800's, a published composer as well as an avid Civil War history buff, has arranged this collection of Civil War songs in a style which is both authentic to the period and at the same time musically fit for modern performers. Ready to perform! An entire program of sheet music, script and suggested instrumentation is available to purchase and instantly print from your own printer (see link at left).

"While music has always been an important means of communicating feelings and ideas in human history, music of North America during the 19th century was not only highly emotionally charged, but was a way of communication of thoughts, ideas, and expressions.  In the music of Stephen Foster, Americans found a style pleasing to the ear and easy on the voice.  The 19th century was also the age of the piano. By the 1860’s, thousands of pianos resided in the homes of American families throughout the country.  Singing and playing music was a major pastime in many families, and reading and playing music was considered an important part of a young Victorian woman’s education.  Many evenings were spent in comfortable settings within the parlors of homes where the listeners were magically taken away from the worries of the day through recitals and impromptu performances by budding performers and composers. Although very much within the style of Foster’s compositions, Civil War songs were far more emotionally charged with heart-wrenching scenes of sadness, death, and longing for home, family and peace, in addition to the heart-pounding exuberance of the battle and recruiting songs.  

"Music publication was an important industry in America during the 19th century, and with the industrialization of the North, including more modern printing presses in well-established publishing houses, there was considerably more music published in the North than in the South. Therefore, Union songs vastly outnumbered those of the Confederacy.  Much of the music of the North is still in existence today.

"The Confederacy’s attempt to establish a quickly functioning government included the founding of a copyright office, and there were, although not as numerous as those in the North, several publishers in the South, and some of their publications are still in existence, although most are very rare.  As an example of how rare they have become, during the last days of the war and into the reconstruction years, when every commodity was precious in the South, music was printed on the back of wallpaper remnants.  This lack of resources, however, would not be a deterrent for the Southern soldiers as they sang around the campfires during the war.  They simply borrowed tunes from the North and created new lyrics.  It is, however, very unfortunate that much of the Confederate musical history died with the soldiers.

"The American Civil War created a tremendous need for people to express the emotions associated with this episode in history.  Music has always been a means of emotional charge, and emotional release, and so it was during the trying years of 1861-1864 and beyond.  These songs provided people with an outlet for their grief, motivation, and anger coming out of this experience.

"The music of the Civil War had many tales to tell.  The music and lyrics runs the gamut from deeply religious to openly bawdy, but within it all one senses that each army, North and South, truly believed that God was on their side.  More than 600,000 Americans died in the Civil War, more than all other wars combined, and they were fighting each other.  Civilians of all ages were more prone to sudden fatal diseases during this period of time.  Death was a common fact of existence for these people, yet, in most cases, they approached each day with courage, resolution and valor. Whether general or shop-maid, whether hardened soldier or oppressed slave, they all had a story to tell.  One that we, hopefully, will never have to relive, but from which we can gain important insights into who those ancestors were, and with what driving force, and for what all-powerful purpose did they pay the last full measure.

"Join me on this site through a journey back in time to an era in our history that will remain with us forever in its music."

Robert Keith Briggs

All of the music you see here is available for purchase.

• Just click on the link for each song to be taken to it's own page.
• There you may see and hear the entire score.
• Then, if you would like, purchase it and instantly print it from your own printer.