Battle Hymn of the Republic

This page includes a lyric video, history, sheet music, and other resources for the song “Battle Hymn of the Republic (Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory).” Enjoy!

Battle Hymn of the Republic (Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory)

Enjoy this You Tube video, performed by Lee Greenwood, with lyrics for “Battle Hymn of the Republic (Mine Eyes Have Seen).”

History of “Battle Hymn of the Republic (Mine Eyes Have Seen)”

Words by Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910), Published in 1862

Julia Ward Howe
Julia Ward Howe (1819-1910)

On a visit to Washington DC, Julia (along with her husband and pastor), overheard Union Army troops singing the words “John Brown’s Body” to a tune with a strong marching beat. Julia’s pastor suggested that she write more meaningful words for the stirring music.1 Julia recalls:

“I awoke in the grey of the morning, and as I lay waiting for dawn, the long lines of the desired poem began to entwine themselves in my mind, and I said to myself, I must get up and write these verses, lest I fall asleep and forget them! So I sprang out of bed and in the dimness found an old stump of a pen, which I remembered using the day before. I scrawled the verses almost without looking at the paper.”2

On her return to her home in Boston, Julia showed the words to the editor of the Atlantic Monthly, who suggested the title “Battle Hymn of the Republic” and published the song in February of 1862.3 The song quickly spread throughout the North as a rallying cry for their cause during the Civil War – the abolition of slavery.
One of Julia’s verses that is often excluded (or altered) is:

“As He died to make men holy,
Let us die to make men free;
While God is marching on.”

Many gave their lives in the hope of ending slavery. Julia’s words were a reminder that they were following in the footsteps of Jesus — and that this same Jesus would one day return to earth as a righteous judge!

Music “Battle Hymn”: American Folk Tune, 19th Century

This tune is generally believed to be an old folk tune that originated in South Carolina and was well known prior to the Civil War. Though it has sometimes been attributed to a William Steffe, “his identity, or the reason for crediting him with this melody remain unknown.”4

Additional Resources for “Battle Hymn of the Republic (Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory)”:

Sheet Music (PDF Compliments of Hymnary.org)

Guitar Chords (Links to Ultimate Guitar)

Visit Hymnary.org or Hymn Time.com for more on this hymn.

See our Hymn of the Week page for a list of the hymns that are included on this site.

This page was created by:

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Sources:

1 Reynolds, William Jensen. Hymns of Our Faith: A Handbook for the Baptist Hymnal. Broadman Press, 1964, p. 488.
2 “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” Hymn Time.
3 Reynolds, p. 488.
4 Ibid.

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