Here’s a fascinating book of slave songs collected during & immediately after the war by Allen, Ware, & Garrison:

on Archive.org >>

ALSO: Text + images of book @ DocSouth.unc.edu >>

The first paragraphs of the introduction provide a taste of the authors’ approach & intent:

The musical capacity of the negro race has been recognized for so many years that it is hard to explain why no systematic effort has hitherto been made to collect and preserve their melodies. More than thirty years ago those plantation songs made their appearance which were so extraordinarily popular for a while ; and if “Coal-black Rose,” “Zip Coon” and “Ole Virginny nebber tire” have been succeeded by spurious imitations, manufactured to suit the somewhat sentimental taste of our community, the fact that these were called “negro melodies” was itself a tribute to the musical genius of the race.

The public had well-nigh forgotten these genuine slave songs, and with them the creative power from which they sprung, when a fresh interest was excited through the educational mission to the Port Royal islands, in 1861. The agents of this mission were not long in discovering the rich vein of music that existed in these half-barbarous people, and when visitors from the North were on the islands, there was nothing that seemed better worth their while than to see a ” shout” or hear the “people” sing their “sperichils.” A few of these last, of special merit,* soon became established favorites among the whites, and hardly a Sunday passed at the church on St. Helena without “Gabriel’s Trumpet,” “I hear from Heaven to-day,” or “Jehovah Hallelujah.”  The last time I myself heard these was at the Fourth of July celebration, at the church, in 1864.  All of them were sung, and then the glorious shout, “I can’t stay behind, my Lord,” was struck up, and sung by the entire multitude with a zest and spirit, a swaying of the bodies and nodding of the heads and lighting of the countenance and rhythmical movement of the hands, which I think no one present will ever forget…

The book contains 136 songs:

1. Roll, Jordan, roll
2. Jehovah, Hallelujah
3. I hear from Heaven to-day
4. Blow your trumpet, Gabriel
5. Praise, member
6. Wrestle on, Jacob
7. The Lonesome Valley
8. I can’t stay behind
9. Poor Rosy
10. The Trouble of the World
11. There’s a meeting here to-night
12. Hold your light
13. Happy Morning
14. No man can hinder me
15. Lord, remember me
16. Not weary yet
17. Religion so sweet
18. Hunting for the Lord
19. Go in the wilderness
20. Tell my Jesus “Morning.”
21. The Graveyard
22. John, John, of the Holy Order
23. I saw the beam in my sister’s eye
24. Hunting for a city
25. Gwine follow
26. Lay this body down
27. Heaven bell a-ring
28. Jine ’em
29. Rain fall and wet Becca Lawton
30. Bound to go
31. Michael row the boat ashore
32. Sail, O believer
33. Rock o’ Jubilee
34. Stars begin to fall
35. King Emanuel
36. Satan’s Camp A-Fire
37. Give up the world
38. Jesus on the Waterside
39. I wish I been dere
40. Build a house in Paradise
41. I know when I’m going home
42. I’m a trouble in de mind
43. Travel on
44. Archangel, open the door
45. My body rock ‘long fever
46. Bell da ring
47. Pray all de member
48. Turn sinner, turn O
49. My army cross over
50. Join the angel band
51. I an’ Satan had a race
52. Shall I die?
53. When we do meet again
54. The White Marble Stone
55. I can’t stand the fire
56. Meet, O Lord
57. Wai’, Mr.~Mackright
58. Early in the morning
59. Hail, Mary
60. No more rain fall for wet you
61. I want to go home
62. Good-bye, brother
63. Fare ye well
64. Many thousand go
65. Brother Moses gone
66. The Sin-sick Soul
67. Some Valiant Soldier
68. Hallelu, Hallelu
69. Children do linger
70. Good-bye
71. Lord, make me more patient
72. The Day of Judgment
73. The Resurrection Morn
74. Nobody knows the trouble I’ve had
75. Who is on the Lord’s side
76. Hold out to the end
77. Come go with me
78. Every hour in the day
79. In the mansions above
80. Shout on, children
81. Jesus, won’t you come by-and-by?
82. Heave away
83. Wake up, Jacob
84. On to Glory
85. Just Now
86. Shock along, John
87. Round the corn, Sally
88. Jordan’s Mills
89. Sabbath has no end
90. I don’t feel weary
91. The Hypocrite and the Concubine
92. O shout away
93. O’er the Crossing
94. Rock o’ my Soul
95. We will march thro’ the valley
96. What a trying time
97. Almost Over
98. Don’t be weary, traveller
99. Let God’s saints come in
100. The Golden Altar
101. The Winter
102. The Heaven Bells
103. The Gold Band
104. The Good Old Way
105. I’m going home
106. Sinner won’t die no more
107. Brother, guide me home
108. Little children, then won’t you be glad?
109. Charleston Gals
110. Run, nigger, run
111. I’m gwine to Alabamy
112. My Father, how long?
113. I’m in trouble
114. O Daniel
115. O brother, don’t get weary
116. I want to join the band
117. Jacob’s Ladder
118. Pray on
119. Good news, Member
120. I want to die like-a Lazarus die
121. Away down in Sunbury
122. This is the trouble of the world
123. Lean on the Lord’s side
124. These are all my Father’s children
125. The Old Ship of Zion
126. Come along, Moses
127. The Social Band
128. God got plenty o’ room
129. You must be pure and holy
130. Belle Layotte
131. Remon
132. Aurore Bradaire
133. Caroline
134. Calinda
135. Lolotte
136. Musieu Bainjo

PBS “History Detectives” featured “Slave Songs…” in this 2009 episode: