Item No. 6148951

A rare original Civil War regimental broadside song sheet titled “Keifer Leads the Van,” printed for the 110th Ohio Volunteer Infantry shortly after the regiment's organization in 1862. Written by Lieutenant Henry Y. Rush and intended to be sung to the popular air “Uncle Sam,” the broadside celebrates Colonel J. Warren Keifer while praising fellow field officers Lieutenant Colonel William N. Foster and Major Otho H. Binkley, urging the regiment onward with the repeated chorus, ”Then march along, march along, for Keifer leads the van.” (Keifer went on to earn distinction as a Union general and later served as Speaker of the House of Representatives.)

The lengthy patriotic lyrics recount the attack on Fort Sumter, denounce secession, praise George Washington and Andrew Jackson, ridicule Jefferson Davis and William L. Yancey, and conclude with a call to “crush rebellion down” so that “wives and children left behind” might welcome home the victorious Buckeye soldiers.

The song sheet comes from the papers of Private Charles P. Housum of Company A, 110th Ohio Volunteer Infantry. On the reverse, Housum wrote in pencil, “I thought I would send you a copy of the Regimental song as all the Boys are sending them home.” The camp was as “musical as you would think hearing us some nights after the lights are out.”

Some minor toning and foxing, with minor wear along edges. There are several old horizontal folds. Measures about 4 5/8” x 11 3/4”. A great piece of Ohio history. The full lyrics appear below.

KEIFER LEADS THE VAN.

REGIMENTAL SONG, 110 O.V.I.

Tune—UNCLE SAM.

Come, Buckeye boys, and let us sing; for
    now we've shouldered arms,
We've left our wives and sweethearts home,
    with all their love and charms.
The hills and dales, the old homestead, the
    lovely scenes of youth,—
We've bid a sad farewell to all, to battle for
    the truth.

CHORUS.—
Then march along, march along, for
    Keifer leads the van,
And Foster he will stick to us as long.
    as there's a man;
Then march along, march along, for
    Binkley's with us too:
And he will never square the books till
    Davis gets his due.

The traitors first shot down our flag, that
    o'er proud Sumter stood,
And reared their filthy rebel rag, all stained
    with Union blood.
But Yankee boys can rear again, that Ban-
    ner of the Free,
Whose folds shall all be kissed again, with
    Zephyrs from the sea.

CHORUS.—Then march along, &c.

The rebels they would fain tear down this
    temple of the Free,
And build instead their cushion'd homes of
    aristocracy.
But from this temple not a stone, shall ever
    be removed;
For in her halls is justice found, as foreign
    lands have proved.

CHORUS.—Then march along, &c.

Our country is the best on earth, and bears
    the fairest name;
And she can boast of giving birth to men of
    deathless fame;
There's Washington whose dauntless deeds
    still keep his mem'ry green,
And Jackson too, who whipped John Bull so
    nice at New Orleans.

CHORUS.—Then march along, &c.

Poor Jeff he thinks he's very sharp, and
    Yancey boasts of wit;
But we can whet our tools, my boys, for
    Yankees have the GRIT.
They call us stupid "mud-sills," boys, and
    other curious names,
But we have logic in our guns, and more with-
    in our brains.

CHORUS.—Then march along, &c.

Ne'er let your hands grow weary, boys,
    while in this noble cause,
Till every rebel grounds his arms, submit-
    ting to our laws;—
Till on a strong palmetto limb, a curious fruit
    you see—
Jeff Davis to a strong hemp rope "a-dancing
    jubilee."

CHORUS.—Then march along, &c.

We now are in that "Dixie land" of which
    we often sing;
And now the music of that song, shall from
    the musket ring.
We come with love within our hearts, but
    lead within our guns,
With sharp and tickling bayonets, to make
    the rebels run.

CHORUS.—Then march along, &c.

Come, let us press with vigor on, and
    crush rebellion down,
Then union, peace, and plenty all, shall
    through the land abound.
Then wives and children left behind, and
    sweethearts brave and true
Will welcome back the Buckeye boys that
    put the rebels through.

CHORUS.—Then march along, &c.

Lieut. H. Y. RUSH.