The well-known Christmas carol lyrics for “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” originated from Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s experiences in December of 1863. He wrote the poem on Christmas Day to celebrate his son’s recovery from battle wounds.
In early 1863, Charles Longfellow joined the Union army unbeknownst to his father, Henry. Charles, a good soldier, was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the First Massachusetts Cavalry.
Within nine months of service, Charles was wounded in a skirmish in late November. It wasn’t until early December that his father received word of his son’s injury. Henry rushed to meet Charles at the military hospital in Washington only to hear terrible news. A bullet had clipped his son’s spine and might leave him paralyzed.
The doctors operated and the surgery was a great success. Charles would likely recover fully in about six months’ time.
Longfellow wrote a poem about his unpredictable December of 1863, expressing his frustration as he waited to learn what would be his son’s future. The poem is given below. When you read or listen to the lyrics, you can recognize a father’s turmoil and then his joy in the news of his son’s