Firemen in Richmond, VA in 1855 sang everything they could. They even made up songs when they had sung all the old standbys. John W. Staffe wrote a tune for the men to sing, but left it to them to find words to go with the tune.

Very soon everybody was singing the tune to all types of lyrics. By 1859, people in the South were singing the tune to the words "They hanged John Brown to a sour apple tree", to mock the abolitionist who had tried to free all the slaves in America.

In 1861 Julia Ward Howe, a writer from Boston, rode through Union Army camps as a guest of President Lincoln. All the soldiers seemed to be singing about hanging confederate president Jefferson Davis to a sour apple tree, but the Yankees had added the words "Glory Hallelujah!"

When Julia returned to Washington she could not sleep because of the tune running through her mind. Thinking the tune was beautiful, but the words silly, she got up and wrote her own lyrics. The Union Army soon took them up as their marching song.

In 1865, the Union Army marched into Richmond, VA, singing Julia's words to the tune written by a man from Richmond.

Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord..........

As He died to make men Holy let us die to make men free.

The Civil War was over and the Union preserved. Unfortunately, many people still live in bondage, both physically and emotionally. Only God can grant us true freedom. May you experience that freedom today.