The Battle of Pilot Knob was the beginning of a conflict that brought the Civil War to Cuba, Missouri. The events of the Civil War would eventually lead to a treasured Christmas song.
Today, I was reading the original poem “Christmas Bells” by Longfellow and realized that he was writing about the Civil War, which made me think of Viva Cuba‘s Civil War murals.
American poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) wrote the poem “Christmas Bells” on December 25, 1864. At the time, the outcome of the Civil War was not clear and the original poem included seven stanzas with references to the war.
“Christmas Bells”
(The original poem, complete with all seven stanzas)“I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet
The words repeat
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along
The unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!Till, ringing, singing on its way,
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime
A chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!Then from each black accursed mouth
The cannon thundered in the South,
And with the sound
The carols drowned
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
It was as if an earthquake rent
The hearth-stones of a continent,
And made forlorn
The households born
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!
And in despair I bowed my head;
“There is no peace on earth,” I said;
“For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!”Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!”
So while “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” may be a beloved Christmas song, it was born out of torment and conflict of a nation and the personal suffering of Longfellow.
Later, those stanzas were removed, and the the poem became the Christmas song “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day.” The two stanzas referring to the Civil War were removed, and the poem was rearranged by John Baptiste Calkin, who also added music.
To read the complete story read The Story Behind “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” by Tom Stewart.
The verses that we sing:
I heard the bells on Christmas day
Their old familiar carols play,
And wild and sweet the words repeat
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And thought how, as the day had come,
The belfries of all Christendom
Had rolled along the unbroken song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.”
Now, when you look at Viva Cuba’s Civil War murals, think of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and this special Christmas song.
For more on Longfellow and other poems by him, visit here.
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