April 12, 1862: San Francisco

[A]t ten o’clock [tonight] came the news of the battle at Pittsburg Landing, supposed to be a much greater victory than it really was¹. Such an excitement in the streets. People were out, at midnight a salute of cannon was fired, and the streets were as noisy all night long as if it had been Fourth of July. A great concert was in progress, the oratorio Creation, when the dispatch was read on the stage. The music stopped, people cheered, wild with excitement, Yankee-Doodle and The Star-Spangled Banner were sung and played—probably the first time those pieces were ever introduced in that sacred oratorio.

¹Interestingly, the Confederates initially thought they had won.

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