Mt Vernon's Bells?

[Guest]

My grandmother is trying to find the Title and Composer of this early 1900s song.

V1
Where Potomac's stream is flowing
Virginia's borders thru
When the white sailed ships are going
Sailing to the ocean blue
Hushed the sound of mirth and singing
Silent every one
While the solemn bells are ringing
By the tomb of Washington

Chorus:
Tolling and kneeling with a sad sweet sound
O'er the waves the tones are swelling
By Mt. Vernon's sacred ground

Thanks to anyone who can help!

[Hikertotown]

I have found the hymn in it's entirety. I don't know if you're still on this site.

[steveliu]

Hi Hikertotown,

Even though it's many years after the original post, we'd definitely encourage you to share what you have, as many others may also be looking for this.

I'm finding that this site is also becoming a place to preserve hymn texts that might otherwise be lost to obscurity; your contribution to the site in the form of these lyrics would definitely help this one live on.

Thanks!
Steve

[hikertotown]

Thanks for the reply. I found this in a scrapbooks of sorts my Grandmother gave me. It was not hers, but belonged to someone a generation above her, all of the newspaper clippings and stories appear to be dated at around the 1880s. In addition to some handwritten hymns, there are old recipes, news paper clippings and poems. It's been quite a lot of fun to read through this. On a whim I googled, "Mount Vernon's Bells" thinking someone may have uploaded a youtube video or the like, and this website is the only reference to the hymn I could find. It appears this may have become a lost relic without this site!

Where Potomac stream is flowing
Virginia's border thru
Where the white sailed ships are going
Sailing to the ocean blue
Hush the sounds of mirth and singing
Silent every one
While the solemn bells are ringing
By the tomb of Washington

Tolling and kneeling
With a sad sweet sound
O'er the waves the tones are swelling
By Mount Vernon's sacred ground

Long ago the warrior slumbered
Our country's father slept
Long ago the angels numbered
They the heros souls have kept
But the children's children love him
And his name revere
So where willows wave above him
Sweetly still his knell you hear

Sail O ships across the billows
And bear the story far
How he sleeps beneath the willows
First in peace and first in war
Tell while sweet adieus are swelling
Till you come again
He within the hearts are dwelling
of his loving country men

Thank you, I hope this helps someone who may be looking for a piece of the past.