Manuscript copy of the folk song "Wake, Nicodemus." N.p.: n.d. [circa 1864]. 3 pages, 9 3/4 x 7 1/2 inches. Illustrated with hand-drawn pen and ink vignette depicting a dove bearing a banner in its beak, inscribed, "Song and Chorus of Nicodemus G.W.R."

Composed during the height of the Civil War by self-taught musician Henry Clay Work (1832–1884), "Wake, Nicodemus" stands as a powerful musical tribute celebrating the impending destruction of American slavery. Born in Middletown, Connecticut, Work was raised in a staunchly abolitionist household. His father, Alanson Work (1799–1899), operated a major station on the Underground Railroad in Illinois, instrumental in the escape of thousands of freedom seekers. Immersed in the struggle for emancipation from an early age, the younger Work channeled his family's zeal for social reform directly into his wartime compositions.

During the conflict, Work emerged as one of the North's most influential songwriters, documenting battlefield triumphs and exposing the brutal realities of slavery. His enduring musical legacy extended well into the 20th century, wherein selections from his oeuvre were featured in the Broadway production Good Morning Dearie and the film Meet Me in St. Louis, while his famous anthem "Marching Through Georgia" was adapted as Princeton University's football fight song. Ironically, despite Work's progressive intent, popular songs  like "Wake, Nicodemus" were frequently co-opted by late 19th-century minstrel shows that relied heavily on racist stereotypes. Work, however, had explicitly designed his songs to subvert the genre, leveraging the immense popularity of these public performances to humanize enslaved individuals and advocate for emancipation.

The song itself centers on a legendary figure named Nicodemus, who was purportedly brought to the Americas on an early slave ship in 1620 and subsequently bought his own freedom, becoming an emblem of early Black liberty. Though unverified by the historical record, the poignant tale deeply resonated with enslaved Americans striving for their own freedom. A charmingly illustrated, manuscript artifact of Civil War-era song writing and abolitionist history.