Minstrel
Boy
Although Irish
immigration was fairly commonplace throughout the early days of the American colonies,
the Irish Potato Famine (1845-1850) initiated a tidal wave of arrivals in the
United States. Besides the avoidance of starvation, the vast majority came to
avoid discrimination on ethnic and religious grounds. Most were looking for an
opportunity to earn an honest living. Many came to evade prosecution by British
authorities for rebellion against the Crown and some came as mercenary soldiers
of fortune. What they often found here was even more discrimination on ethnic
and religious grounds, precisely what they came to avoid. The jobs they found,
if they could find one at all, were usually menial in nature, so they often looked
to military service as an alternative. The same problem occurred in the Southern
States, and Irish enlisted in the Confederate Army in significant numbers as well.
When the Civil War began, Irishmen in the north
looked upon it as an opportunity to serve their adopted country, and they enlisted
in the Union Army in hordes, with over 150,000 signing up. They took many aspects
of their culture with them. Most military chaplains were Roman Catholic and of
Irish ancestry. Mass was usually conducted every Sunday and confessions were heard
before going to battle. Campfires were occasions of great story telling, poetry,
and especially singing songs from their homeland. Many were songs of Irish rebellion
like Risin' of the Moon, A Nation Once Again, Wearin' of the
Green, etc. Rosin the Beau became Abraham Lincoln's
campaign song, Lincoln and Liberty, Too. Songs like St. Patrick's Day
in the Morning, Johnny Has Gone for a Soldier, Pat Murphy of the
Irish Brigade, Rakes of Mallow, Garryowen,
and countless others were sung and played on the fife and the drum. Of all the
songs played and sung throughout the war, Minstrel Boy was probably the
most popular.
It, too, was a song of rebellion.
The son of a cobbler, Thomas Moore was born in Dublin in 1779. Like many Irishmen,
he had a significant talent for poetry and music. By the time he was 27 years
of age, he published a collection of music set to his poems (Irish Melodies).
While attending Trinity College, he befriended many men who were members of United
Irishmen, who led an insurrection in 1798. Many of these friendships ended on
the gallows as a result. Moore went on to finish law school in London. He lived
there for the remainder of his life.
His best
known song was Minstrel Boy, set to the music of a very old Irish air,
The Moreen. A song of rebellion, this was one of the most popular songs
among the troops throughout the War Between the States.
There was a final verse that was added at a later date:
The
Minstrel Boy will return we pray
When we hear the news, we all will cheer it.
The
mistrel boy will return one day,
Torn perhaps in body, not in spirit.
Then
may he play on his harp in peace,
In a wrold as Heaven intended,
For all
his bitterness of man must cease,
And ev'ry battle must be ended.
Copyright, EW Boyle, 2001