On April 5, Smithsonian Folkways will release two albums to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the Civil War: A Treasury of Civil War Songs by Tom Glazer and Civil War Naval Song by Dan Milner with guests.

Reissued for the first time since its 1973 release, A Treasury of Civil War Songs revisits 25 of the Civil War’s most enduring folk songs, including "John Brown’s Body" and "The Battle Cry of Freedom" along with lesser known material that truly helps to embrace the spirit and travail of the times. Culled from both Confederate and Union sources, A Treasury of Civil War Songs is a vivid testament to America’s past as written by the men and women who lived it.

Conceived, researched, produced and performed by renowned folk singer Dan Milner, Civil War Navy Songs is a newly recorded collection of 12 period wartime ballads and hymns. Each performance on the record is done using instruments from the era to help preserve the songs’ integrity and tone—with Milner trading off vocal duties with David Coffin and Jeff Davis as the immigrant, the Yankee and the rebel, respectively. The battles touched on here included Mobile Bay, Hampton Roads and the sinking of the Alabama. The record itself is a milestone and stands as the first ever dedicated to the Civil War at sea.