After the Battle Mother

DESCRIPTION: The wounded singer is lying on the battle field among the dead and dying. When "the foemen turned and fled" his wound stopped him from following. He waits for morning. "Still I feel that I shall see you and the dear old home again"
AUTHOR: George F. Root (1820-1895) (source: PopMusicMTSU 94-017 Goldstein ID 001256-BROAD)
EARLIEST DATE: 1863 (sheet music published by Root & Cady, according to Silber-SongsOfTheCivilWar)
LONG DESCRIPTION: "Still upon the field of battle, I am lying, mother dear, With my wounded comrades waiting." Many are dead, many more gasping out their dying breaths. The singer is wounded but alive. He wishes he could go with his victorious comrades, but when "the foemen turned and fled" his wound stopped him from following. He waits for morning. "Still I feel that I shall see you and the dear old home again"
KEYWORDS: battle Civilwar war death dying injury nonballad mother soldier
FOUND IN: US(MW)
REFERENCES (5 citations):
Musick-JAF-TheOldAlbumOf-William-A-Larkin 3, "Just After the Battle" (1 text)
Silber-SongsOfTheCivilWar, pp. 154-156, "Just After the Battle" (1 text, 1 tune)
Colonial-Dames-AmericanWarSongs, pp. 82-83, "Just After the Battle" (1 text)
Wolf-AmericanSongSheets, #1172, p. 80, "Just After the Battle, Mother" (10 references)
Dime-Song-Book #14, p. 20, "Just After the Battle" (1 text)
Roud #4277
BROADSIDES:
Bodleian, Harding B 11(203)=Harding B 11(204), "Just After the Battle, Mother," J. Harkness (Preston), 1840-1866; also 2806 c.13(142), unknown, n.d.; Firth c.14(266), "Just After the Battle," unknown, n.d.
LOCSinging, cw103160, "Just After the Battle" ("Still upon the field of battle"), H. De Marsan (New York), 1861-1864; also sb20250b, "Just After the Battle"; hc00015a, hc00015b, "Just After the Battle Mother"; cw1000070, cw100080, "After the Battle Mother"
PopMusicMTSU, 94-017 Goldstein ID 001256-BROAD, "After the Battle Mother" ("Still upon the field of battle"), J.H. Johnson (Philadelphia), 1858-1859 and 1863-1876
NOTES [73 words]: This was one of George F. Root's attempts to follow up on the success of "Just Before the Battle, Mother." It didn't deserve success -- and doesn't seem to have *had* much success, at least in tradition, despite repeated printings. - RBW
Broadside LOCSinging cw103160: H. De Marsan dating per Studying Nineteenth-Century Popular Song by Paul Charosh in American Music, Winter 1997, Vol 15.4, Table 1, available at FindArticles site. - BS
Last updated in version 6.6
File: MuLa003

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