Literary Granny Julia Ward Howe: I'm Not Exactly Her Namesake AND I'll Claim Her

It would be very obvious to say I was named for my Aunt Julie, but that is not exactly directly the truth. She was actually named Juliet and my parents almost didn’t name me Julie for fear I would get teased because of the character Julie Jordan in the musical Carousel.  I didn’t get teased as a child, but when I was younger I regularly got sung to by teachers with the opening line of the song.

Historically and literarily speaking, most Julies were Julia or Juliette or Juliet I suppose.

I am glad to claim Julia Ward Howe as a Julie in my literary lineage.

She was known mostly for her song, The Battle Hymn of the Republic, but besides this

Literary Granny Julia Ward Howe

accomplishment she was a poet, abolitionist, and activist. She also wrote plays and creative non-fiction, including a work about Margaret Fuller, another woman I claim in my literary lineage.

The story of Battle Hymn of the Republic goes like this: Mrs. Howe was visiting, along with the Secretary of War for the Union, some of the army camps. The soldiers were busily singing “John Brown’s Body” and that tune must have entered into her poet’s mind because she was awakened with the first stanza of the famous poem written and complete in her mind.

By the time dawn arrived, the entire poem had been written by candlelightand started its life as a song sung to the tune of John Brown’s Body.

Mine eyes have seen the glory
of the coming of the lord,
He is trampling out the vintage
where the grapes of wrath are stored,
He hath loosed his fateful lightning
of His terrible swift sword,
His truth is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

I have seen Him in the watch fires
of a hundred circling camps,
They have builded Him an altar
in the evening dews and damps,
I can read his righteous sentence
in the dim and daring lamps,
His day is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

I have read a fiery Gospel
writ in burnished 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,
Since God is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

He has sounded forth the trumpet
that shall never call retreat,
He is sitting out the hearts of men
before His judgment seat,
Oh, be swift, my soul, to answer Him!
Be jubilant, my feet,
Our God is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on


The following stanzas are presented
as sung by The Mormon Tabernacle Choir in 1960

In the beauty of the lilies
Christ was born across the sea,
With a glory in his bosom
that transfigures you and me,
As He died to make men holy
let us live to make men free,
His truth is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

He is coming like the glory
of the morning on the wave,
He is wisdom to the mighty
He is honor to the brave,
So the world shall be His footstool
and the soul of wrong His slave,
Our God is marching on

Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah
Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on

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