From the American Battlefield Trust
Few troupes of holiday carolers likely consider the origins of the songs they sing. But one beloved tune – tackled by everyone from Bing Crosby to Elvis Presley to Sarah McLachlan – was born of personal heartache during the Civil War.
“America’s Poet” Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote the words for "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day" on that very holiday in 1863. The lines, which were first set to music in 1872, reflect a new wellspring of hope discovered as he watched his son’s recovery from a wound received a month earlier at the Battle of New Hope Church. I Heard the Bells, a dramatized telling of the events that culminated in the uplifting poem, premiered in cinemas earlier this month. Read the story behind the beloved carol here.
Although their grief and uncertainty is uniquely documented, the Longfellows are far from the only family to have spent a holiday worried over the fate of a loved one – or the nation as a whole. “Never before had so sad a Christmas dawned upon us…We had neither the heart nor inclination to make the week merry with joyousness when such a sad calamity hovered over us,” wrote by Sallie Brock Putnam of the 1862 holiday in Richmond, Va.
Soldiers in the field, far from hearth and home, drew what comfort they could from comrades and sought to bring some semblance of normalcy to the holiday season. They relished letters from their loved ones, shared special meals, felt loneliness and longing, and even engaged in epic snowball fights. There are records of Civil War soldiers bringing traditional holiday customs like caroling, gift exchanges, and decorating, to camp.
One soldier from the 17th Maine recorded that he and his fellow troops eagerly awaited the "sundry boxes and mysterious parcels" directed to them "with feelings akin to those of children expecting Santa Claus." Another soldier, Alfred Bellard of the 5th New Jersey Infantry, recalled a small tree, "decked off with hard tack and pork, in lieu of cakes and oranges."
As Christmas dawns and we count our blessings, let us also deepen our appreciation for our soldiers' devotion and how they shaped - and continue to shape - the country we call home, often far away from their families. Thank you for doing your part to help ensure that their memory is never forgotten.