Ford O'Kabul
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The Ford O'Kabul River is listed as the second song in this second series of Barrack Room Ballads, with words by Rudyard Kipling (1890) and music by Gerard F Cobb (1893). The other songs within the edition were
1. Troopin'.
3. Danny Deever.
4. Shillin' A Day.
5. Cells.
6. Widow in Windsor.
The illustrations on the cover depict two military figures, one of which is playing a bugle. The words of Rudyard Kipling were printed with permission of his publishers Methuen and Co. and the series is dedicated to HRH Prince George, The Duke of Cambridge, K G (Knight of the Garter).The copyright notice states it is for all countries and was held by Chas Sheard and Co. of London 1893, although the song sheets were also published in Boston, USA by White-Smith Music Publishing Company.
Kipling's poem first appeared in The National Observer in November 1890. It was written to commemorate the river disaster of the 10th Hussars on 31 March 1879 during the Afghan war of 1878 to 1880.
For more information about the event:
https://www.garenewing.co.uk/angloafghanwar/articles/fordokabul.php
Text of the original poem- https://www.poetryloverspage.com/poets/kipling/ford_kabul_river.html
- https://www.kiplingsociety.co.uk/poem/poems_ford.htm
For more biographical information on Gerard F Cobb
https://www.musicweb-international.com/classrev/2004/Oct04/cobb.htm
