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Battle Hymn of the Republic - Manuscript Version
by Julia Ward Howe
 

 More of This Feature
• First Published Version
• Original Manuscript Version
• About Later Versions
   
 Related Resources
• About Julia Ward Howe  - includes bibliography
• Writing the Battle Hymn
• Beyond the Battle Hymn
• Julia Ward Howe Quotations
• 
Julia Ward Howe: More Resources
• Women and the Civil War
• Harriet Townsend on Julia Ward Howe
• Mother's Day Proclamation, by Julia Ward Howe
• "What Is Religion?" 1893, Julia Ward Howe
• Transcendentalist Women (2)
 What is Transcendentalism?
• Suffrage Resources
• Women and Peace
• Mother's Day Resources
• Katharine Lee Bates - America the Beautiful  
 

Julia Ward Howe
Julia Ward Howe
about 1895

Portrait from
www.arttoday.com
Used with permission

Also: Background & first published version  About later versions

Manuscript Version

Here is "Battle Hymn of the Republic" as Julia Ward Howe first wrote it in 1861, as documented in Reminscences 1819-1899, published in 1899:

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord.
He is trampling out the wine press, where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He hath loosed the fateful lightnings of his terrible swift sword,
          His truth is marching on.

I have seen him in the watchfires of an hundred circling camps
They have builded him an altar in the evening dews and damps,
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps,
          His day is marching on.

I have read a burning Gospel writ in fiery rows of steel,
As ye deal with my contemners, so with you my grace shall deal,
Let the hero born of woman, crush the serpent with his heel,
          Our God is marching on.

He has sounded out the trumpet that shall never call retreat,
He has waked the earth's dull sorrow with a high ecstatic beat,
Oh! be swift my soul to answer him, be jubilant my feet!
          Our God is marching on.

In the whiteness of the lilies he was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom that shines out on you and me,
As he died to make men holy, let us die to make men free,
          Our God is marching on.

He is coming like the glory of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty, he is succour to the brave,
So the world shall be his footstool, and the soul of Time his slave,
          Our God is marching on.

Also: First published version  About later versions

 

Related links:

  • John Brown's Body: plays several banjo versions of the tune, plus gives several versions of the Union lyrics (warning: music will play at this site)
  • About Julia Ward Howe - includes bibliography
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