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| Field name | Value |
|---|---|
| Collection Reference Number | GLC06640.01 |
| From Archive Folder | Unassociated Civil War Documents 1865-1929 |
| Title | Lamar Fontaine to Mary C. Day re: his ballad "All Quiet along the Potomac tonight" |
| Date | April 1892 |
| Author | Fontaine, Lamar (1829-1921) |
| Recipient | Day, Mary C. |
| Document Type | Correspondence |
| Content Description | "Lines suggested, while standing over the dead body of a loved comrade, killed by a bullet fired from across the Potomac, by a treacherous hireling foe, Leisburg Va. Augt 9th 1861." A fair copy of his ballad "All Quiet along the Potomac tonight." Fontaine underlines words throughout the song which emphasize the unimportance of a private's death. Gives his unit as Co. I, 2nd Va. Cavalry, C.S.A. Written on letterhead for Lamas Fountaine & Sons, Surveyers and Civil Engineers. |
| Subjects | Civil War Military History Confederate States of America Death Poetry |
| People | Fontaine, Lamar (1829-1921) Day, Mary C. (fl. 1899) |
| Place written | Lyon, Mississippi |
| Theme | Arts & Literature; The American Civil War |
| Sub-collection | Papers and Images of the American Civil War |
| Additional Information | Fontaine served as a despatch bearer for the Southern forces around Vicksburg. This song quickly became very popular for both the Union and the Confederacy. Commanders on both sides issued a joint order prohibiting the barbarous custom of picket fire, exhibiting the powerful influence of music during the war. |
| Copyright | The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History |
| Module | Civil War, Reconstruction and the Modern Era: 1860-1945 |
| Civil War: Unit | 2nd Virginia Cavalry,Co. I |
| Related documents | Lamar Fontaine to Mary C. Day regarding her letter of thanks |