1862 Battle Hymn

In 1862 Julia Ward Howe published the Battle Hymn of the Republic, a moving anthem still sung 150 years later. This reproduction fabric line remembers the first full year of Civil War, its battles and losses. Muted colors recall the mood of mourning. The original prints date from mid to late 19th-century, many drawn from an 1860s mill sample book. Print styles fashionable in the 1860s include small figures in formal repeats, floral trails and a floral spray that might be a cotton boll. The flag print may date to the 1870s, a postwar celebratory fabric to commemorate the Union’s Centennial.

1862 Battle Hymn can be purchased here.