James Ryder Randall
Encyclopedia
James Ryder Randall was an American journalist
and poet
. He is best remembered as the author of "Maryland, My Maryland".
, Maryland
.
He is most remembered for writing the poem "Maryland, My Maryland
," which is also the reason for his being called the "Poet Laureate of the Lost Cause". It became a war hymn of the Confederacy
after the poem's words were set to music during the Civil War by Jennie Cary, a member of a prominent Maryland and Virginia
family. It later became the state song of Maryland.
Randall wrote the poem after learning that his friend Francis X. Ward, of Randallstown, Maryland
, was killed by the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment in the Baltimore Riot
of April 19, 1861. The work was first published a week later on April 26, in the New Orleans newspaper The Sunday Delta.
After abandoning his studies at Georgetown University
, he traveled to South America
and the West Indies. Upon his return to the United States he taught English literature
at Poydras College in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
. It was during this time that he penned "Maryland, My Maryland". After the Civil War, Randall became a newspaper editor and a correspondent in Washington, D.C.
, for The Augusta Chronicle. He continued to write poems, although none achieved the popularity of "Maryland, My Maryland". His later poems were deeply religious in nature.
He died on January 15, 1908 in Augusta
, Georgia
.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
. He is best remembered as the author of "Maryland, My Maryland".
Biography
Randall was born on January 1, 1839 in BaltimoreBaltimore
Baltimore is the largest independent city in the United States and the largest city and cultural center of the US state of Maryland. The city is located in central Maryland along the tidal portion of the Patapsco River, an arm of the Chesapeake Bay. Baltimore is sometimes referred to as Baltimore...
, Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
.
He is most remembered for writing the poem "Maryland, My Maryland
Maryland, My Maryland
"Maryland, My Maryland" is the official state song of the U.S. state of Maryland. The song is set to the tune of "Lauriger Horatius" and the lyrics are from a nine-stanza poem written by James Ryder Randall...
," which is also the reason for his being called the "Poet Laureate of the Lost Cause". It became a war hymn of the Confederacy
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
after the poem's words were set to music during the Civil War by Jennie Cary, a member of a prominent Maryland and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
family. It later became the state song of Maryland.
Randall wrote the poem after learning that his friend Francis X. Ward, of Randallstown, Maryland
Randallstown, Maryland
Randallstown is an unincorporated community and a census-designated place in Baltimore County, Maryland, United States. It is named after Christopher and Thomas Randall, two 18th-century tavern-keepers. At that time, Randallstown was a tollgate crossroads on the Liberty Turnpike, a major east-west...
, was killed by the Sixth Massachusetts Regiment in the Baltimore Riot
Baltimore riot of 1861
The Baltimore riot of 1861 was an incident that took place on April 19, 1861, in Baltimore, Maryland between Confederate sympathizers and members of the Massachusetts militia en route to Washington for Federal service...
of April 19, 1861. The work was first published a week later on April 26, in the New Orleans newspaper The Sunday Delta.
After abandoning his studies at Georgetown University
Georgetown University
Georgetown University is a private, Jesuit, research university whose main campus is in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C. Founded in 1789, it is the oldest Catholic university in the United States...
, he traveled to South America
South America
South America is a continent situated in the Western Hemisphere, mostly in the Southern Hemisphere, with a relatively small portion in the Northern Hemisphere. The continent is also considered a subcontinent of the Americas. It is bordered on the west by the Pacific Ocean and on the north and east...
and the West Indies. Upon his return to the United States he taught English literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
at Poydras College in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana
Pointe Coupee Parish, pronounced "Pwent Koo-Pay" and , is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Roads. As of 2000, the population was 22,763....
. It was during this time that he penned "Maryland, My Maryland". After the Civil War, Randall became a newspaper editor and a correspondent in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
, for The Augusta Chronicle. He continued to write poems, although none achieved the popularity of "Maryland, My Maryland". His later poems were deeply religious in nature.
He died on January 15, 1908 in Augusta
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
, Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
.
External links
- Biography at Catholic EncyclopediaCatholic EncyclopediaThe Catholic Encyclopedia, also referred to as the Old Catholic Encyclopedia and the Original Catholic Encyclopedia, is an English-language encyclopedia published in the United States. The first volume appeared in March 1907 and the last three volumes appeared in 1912, followed by a master index...