SOLDIER’S JOY | ROCK THE CRADLE, JULIE

The famous Scottish traditional fiddle tune, “Soldier’s Joy“ has been traced back at least as far as 1750’s, and was included in a large collection of ’old and new’ country dances published in 1756. The extremely catchy melody was also known by other names, such as “Payday in the Army,“ “I Am My Mother’s Darling Boy,“ and “Rock the Cradle, Lucy,“ to name a few. In fact, Pvt. John Dinkins, of Co.C, 18th Mississippi Volunteer Infantry, described the march of McLaw’s Division (to which the 2nd South Carolina Regiment and Co. I, belonged) toward Sharpsburg in September of 1862. Dinkins recalled: “The men moved along at a lively gait. As night came on, we sang all kinds of plantation songs, ’Rock the Cradle, Julie’, ’Sallie, Get Your Hoecake Done’, ’I’m Gwying Down the Newburg Road’, and so on. [...] The woods rang with their melodies.“ Besides being a piece of music, ’Soldier’s Joy’ wa