The United States Christian Commission was established by members of the YMCA in the aftermath of the First Battle of Bull Run. They provided supplies to troops, raised money for the armed forces, performed medical services (sometimes on the battlefield), and distributed literature to soldiers. This songster is typical of their mission - a combination of patriotic and temperance tunes.
The songs range from the generically patriotic, such as “Home Sweet Home” or “The Star-Spangled Banner”, to the more specific “Union War- Song” or “The Flag of Fort Sumter.” Some songs are directed specifically at sailors, like “A Sailor’s Life for Me,” “Our Hulls on the Sea.” And more pointedly, “Intoxicating Drink,” “Touch Not the Cup,” and “Slave of the Cup.”
This songster, with the words “Presented by the United States Christian Commission” printed on the rear wrapper, was likely either passed out to soldiers in the field or sold as part of the USCC’s fundraising efforts. Songsters such as this one were often printed in support of political campaigns, at times of heightened patriotism, and to further causes such as abolition or prohibition; unsurprisingly, the Civil War was a particular high point in their publication on all three accounts.
Scarce: OCLC records only two copies, at Brown and the University of Pittsburgh.
