Original Listing Description

My dad, J. Loyd Davis, began collecting sheet music in the 1960's up until his passing in 2011. For the first time since his passing, I will be making some of his ABSOLUTE BEST and RAREST pre-1900 sheet music from his 45+ year collection of >10,000 pieces of sheet music available for sale on Ebay. I am a longtime seller on eBay with a 100% feedback rating. YOU ARE BUYING an INCREDIBLE and RARE "The Battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing" civil war sheet music from 1862 with a SUPER RARE *COLOR* lithograph cover depicting the Shiloh battlefield with lines of infantry, mounted officers, flags, cannonballs, smoke, and wounded / dead Civil War soldiers. This is the RAREST of five Civil War battle pieces composed by Charles Grobe. How rare?? Glad you asked! The Lester S. Levy collection of >30,000 pieces of American sheet music at Johns Hopkins University DOES NOT HAVE this piece of sheet music. The Library of Congress sheet music collection DOES NOT HAVE this piece of sheet music.During the Civil War American composers created huge numbers of compositions about the Civil War to respond to great interest from the public. A very small subset of these were pieces that were composed in direct response to recent battles, and these were often published within just a few weeks of the battle. These compositions dramatically depicted pivotal battles of the Civil War in music so as to bring them alive in the minds and imaginations of the audience. The Battle of Shiloh composition offered here is such a piece.The sub-title text below the cover's color lithograph states that the battle is "Musically Photographed by Charles Grobe" (composer) and indicates that Grobe is trying to vividly recreate for the listener the battle in his music and the accompanying text (see below). Regarding the composition's text, eyewitness reporting via the telegraph greatly impacted the reporting of Civil War battles. Responding to this, Grobe's composition includes lengthy captions above the lines of music that narrate detailed events from the battle and lists the names of many union and confederate officers involved in the battle (Grant, Sherman, Johnston, Beauregard, etc.; see below). Many captions were directly derived from battlefield accounts communicated via telegraph by newspaper war correspondents that were printed in various newspapers around the country According to Morgan [1]: "When one considers the cultural capital of both eyewitness reporting and the telegraph, the text seems almost like the central focus of Grobe’s battle pieces, with the music functioning as a vehicle for bringing its recitation to life. By delivering descriptive reports of battle aloud, wartime performers would have taken on the role of witness to the military confrontations depicted in music, perhaps playing the part of war correspondent themselves embodying a persona and enacting a relationship to war different from their own." [1] E. Morgan (2015), "War on the Home Front: Battle Pieces for the Piano from the American Civil War," Journal of the Society for American Music, Volume 9, Number 4, pp. 381–408.This sheet music is about is about 13" x 10" and is in overall very good condition including the color lithograph on the front cover. PLEASE CAREFULLY REVIEW THE DETAILED HIGH-RESOLUTION PHOTOS TO ASSESS THE QUALITY AND CONDITION OF THIS SHEET MUSIC. PLEASE SEND ME ANY QUESTIONS IF THE CONDITION OF THE ITEM IS DOUBT. This would look great in a frame and is the perfect gift for any civil war enthusiast or historian.Here is the text from the MORNING. Before Jehovah's awful throne, Ye nations bow with sacred joy; Know that the Lord is God alone. He can create and he destroy.Gen: Sidney Johnston announces that he is about to lead them against the invaders, and that they would soon celebrate the greatest victory of the war.Advance of the enemy. Our advance division under Gen. Prentiss, is surprised in their camp. Gen Prentiss and three of his regiments are taken prisoners. Our entire advance line, held by the commands of Generals Prentiss, Sherman, and McClernald, is abandoned. The reserve line, held by Generals Hurlburt and W.H.L. Wallace, is gallantly defended from ten o'clock in the morning, until half past three in the afternoon. But the force of the enemy is too strong and the necessity of falling back becomes apparent. Just then Gen. Wallace is mortally wounded, and carried of the field. At half past four in the afternoon the rebels occupy the camps of every division save that of W.H.L Wallace. Our whole army is crowded to a circuit of half a mile around the landing. We have lost nearly half of our field artillery. There is now a lull in the battle. The enemy are preparing for the onset. Col. Webster chief of Gen. Grant's staff, arranges our remaining 22 guns in a masterly manner for the protection of our position. Gen. Grant has arrived on the field at 3 o'clock P.M. and taken the chief command. Our weary troops catch the first glimpse of Gen. Don Carlos Buell's advance guard under Gen. Nelson across the Tennessee river. At 5 o'clock P.M. the enemy, exasperated by the loss of their commander in chief, S.A. Johnston, flushed with their success and urged on by their idolized Beauregard, made their last attack. Coming within range of our gun boats, Tyler and Lexington, these open upon them with terrible effect. Towards dark the enemy slacken their fire and withdraw. The night between two battles.Buell's divisions are rapidly ferried across the river and assigned their positions. Gen. Lew Wallace brings his division up from Savannah, and forms it on our right. A counsel of war is held, and it is decided to attack the enemy at daybreak. During the night, the gunboats keep up their fire on the enemy lying opposite our left wing, compelling them to fall back. Monday April 7th.Gen. Lew Wallace on the right, and Gen Nelson on the left push the enemy back steadily. Our centre under Crittenden, McCook, Hurlburt, and McClernand engage the enemy. We are steadily gaining ground. The rebels make one more grand rally. This decisive contest lasts for four hours. By two o'clock we have regained our position of Sunday morning. The enemy is in full retreat.Our cavalry follow in pursuit securing prisoners and large quantities of abandoned stores. VICTORY. "SOUND THE LOUD TIMBREL." Enroll in faithful history the name of Buell, Bride, Buckland, Bruce, Boyle, Coruye, Crittenden, Dresser, Ferrell, Gwin, Grant, Gross, Hurlburt, Hilger, Hawkins, Hewitt, Hildebrand, Hazen, Jeremy, Lagow, McCook, McClernand, McPherson, McArthur, McAllister, McDowell, Marsh, Maimburg, Mason, Nelson, Prentiss, Parsons, Richardson, Rawlings, Ransom, Sherman, Smith, Schwartz, Sullivan, Stuart, Stone, Sedgwick, Thompson, Thurber, Wallace, Woods, Webster, Weber, etc. etc. "Shower on them your sweetest flowers. Let the air ring with their praise NOTE I have two other RARE and RELATED items that I am also offering for sale at this time in my other listings:A) "The Battle of Port Royal or the Bombardment of Forts Walker & Beauregard" by Grobe (1861).B) "The Drummer Boy of Shiloh" by Hays (1865).I have hundreds of rare, pre-1900 sheet music from my dad's 45+ year collection that I hope to sell as time allows in the next several years. So be sure to save me on your Ebay's seller list if you want to keep informed of my latest offerings!!Your eBay feedback is appreciated, and I'm always glad to reciprocate THANKS FOR LOOKING!!! (Condition: Pre-Owned)

Note: This item has been sold and is no longer available. This page serves as a historical price reference for Civil War collectors and appraisers.