"God Save the South" is a poem-turned-song written by American George Henry Miles, under the

pen name A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name. A pen na ...

Earnest Halphin, in 1861. It is considered by some to have been the unofficial

national anthem A national anthem is a patriotic musical composition symbolizing and evoking eulogies of the history and traditions of a country or nation. The majority of national anthems are marches or hymns in style. American, Central Asian, and European n ...

of the

Confederate States of America The Confederate States of America (CSA), commonly referred to as the Confederate States or the Confederacy was an unrecognized breakaway republic in the Southern United States that existed from February 8, 1861, to May 9, 1865. The Confeder ...

. The commonly heard version was composed by Charles W. A. Ellerbrock, while C. T. De Cœniél later composed a different tune for the song.

History

"God Save The South" was written in 1861 by Miles as Ernest Halphim with the music for it being composed by Charles Wolfgang Amadeus Ellerbrock. Halphim wrote it with the intent to inspire

Confederate soldiers The Confederate States Army, also called the Confederate Army or the Southern Army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fighting ...

during the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by states th ...

with the thought that

God In monotheism, monotheistic thought, God is usually viewed as the supreme being, creator deity, creator, and principal object of Faith#Religious views, faith.Richard Swinburne, Swinburne, R.G. "God" in Ted Honderich, Honderich, Ted. (ed)''The Ox ...

would be with them. It was also written as an intent to counter the

Union Union commonly refers to: * Trade union, an organization of workers * Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets Union may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * Union (band), an American rock group ** ''Un ...

's usage of the newly-written "

Battle Hymn of the Republic The "Battle Hymn of the Republic", also known as "Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory" or "Glory, Glory Hallelujah" outside of the United States, is a popular American patriotic song written by the abolitionist writer Julia Ward Howe. Howe wrote her l ...

" as a rallying hymn. It was also used as a way to develop a unique Southern national culture to distinguish the Confederate States from the United States. When it was published in

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster. ; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...

, it was the first song published in the Confederate States since the

Ordinance of Secession An Ordinance of Secession was the name given to multiple resolutions drafted and ratified in 1860 and 1861, at or near the beginning of the Civil War, by which each seceding Southern state or territory formally declared secession from the United ...

. The hymn was later included in the Confederate hymnal, ''The Soldier's Companion'' given to all Confederate soldiers during the war. "God Save The South" is considered to be the national anthem for the Confederate States and was published in

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

with the subtitle of "Our national Confederate anthem" with the image of a Confederate soldier carrying the

Stainless Banner The flags of the Confederate States of America have a history of three successive designs during the American Civil War. The flags were known as the "Stars and Bars", used from 1861 to 1863; the "Stainless Banner", used from 1863 to 1865; and ...

with "God Save The South" on it. However, "

Dixie Dixie, also known as Dixieland or Dixie's Land, is a nickname for all or part of the Southern United States. While there is no official definition of this region (and the included areas shift over the years), or the extent of the area it cover ...

" was popular among Confederate soldiers and citizens and thus was a marching song and parade song of Confederate troops. However, in 1950 Richard Harwell wrote: " ixiecan hardly be said to meet the requirements of a national anthem, lthoughit has become a truly national tune, permanently enshrined in the hearts of Americans in both the North and the South. That honor rightly belongs to 'God Save the South' not just by virtue of its status as the new nation's first published song but also because of its stirring poetry and its outstanding musical setting."

Composition

While the anthem mostly used Ellerbrock's music, it was also set to the tune of the British national anthem, "

God Save the King "God Save the King" is the national anthem, national and/or royal anthem of the United Kingdom, most of the Commonwealth realms, their territories, and the British Crown Dependencies. The author of the tune is unknown and it may originate in ...

". Because of this association, as well as a perceived lack of originality, “God Save the South” was criticized in ''Southern Punch'', a weekly periodical modeled after Britain’s ''Punch''. C. T. De Cœniél also wrote another tune for "God Save the South" after Ellerbrock's original, which gained popularity at the time. The fifth verse has been used by one writer as an example of the citizens of the Confederacy's perceived affiliation with

George Washington George Washington (February 22, 1732, 1799) was an American military officer, statesman, and Founding Father who served as the first president of the United States from 1789 to 1797. Appointed by the Continental Congress as commander of th ...

, as he was also considered to be a rebel during the

American Revolutionary War The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...

Lyrics

References

External links

The Civil War Music
{{Authority control Songs of the American Civil War 1861 songs North American anthems Culture of the Southern United States Songs based on poems Religion and politics