John Brown’s Body is composed by troops at Fort Warren.

[Spring-Allison] The song is composed by members of the Second Massachusetts Battalion of Infantry, including one named John Brown, while it is stationed on Georges Island. Written to the tune of “Brother, will you walk with me on Canaan’s happy shore,” it is first sung in public when the unit accompanies the Twelfth Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (the “Fighting Twelfth”) to a rally on Boston Common on July 18, 1861. The song subsequently becomes popular with Union troops despite the fact that they were forbidden to sing it and at least one verse was said to contain obscene lyrics. The tune is adopted for an even more popular song that is published in 1862.*