The Search for Nelly Gray, IX Battle of the Bands
In the evening, when opposing camps were near enough to hear, regimental bands were known to carry on the fighting by contending with each other. In this particular scene, the Union Major has probably given his troops a bit of a psychological edge, by revealing that his command was swollen by the unit of which Ned is a member and having them sing the confident and aggressive lyrics invented by the 1st Arkansas U.S.C.T. to be sung to "John Brown's Body."
I know of no historic basis for the meeting of the band leaders (much shortened due to the 10 MB limit for the mp3 version). But the idea that there were no students from Dixie studying at schools in the North until the war began seems even more fanciful.
Section X deals with love songs of the era and Ned's aria. The remaining sections will have titles such as, Endings, Aftermath, Nelly, and Requiem.
all best,
mgj
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