From: cowan@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu (P.L. Cowan)
Newsgroups: alt.war.civil.usa,rec.music.folk,alt.war
Subject: Re: Union Army recruitment song (lyrics)
Date: 24 Jan 93 10:12:19 -0800
Organization: SSRL, Stanford Synchrotron Radiation Lab
NNTP-Posting-Host: ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu

In article <MARTIN.93Jan23111922@lyra.cis.umassd.edu>, martin@lyra.cis.umassd.edu (Gary Martin) writes:
> In article <1993Jan22.102949.1@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu> cowan@ssrl01.slac.stanford.edu (P.L. Cowan) writes:
> 
> 
> 			The Question Song
> 
>    Which, which, which and which? Which is the Flag of the Free?
> 	Washington's Flag with the stripes and the stars!
> 
>    Who, who, who and who? Who goes with you to the War?
> 	Ten-thousand brave lads, and if they should stay here,
> 	The girls would cry, "Shame!" and THEY'D volunteer.
> 
>    I have a few questions about this song. I assume "Washington's Flag" 
>    means Geo. Washington's flag rather than the flag of the administration
>    in Washington. 
> 
> Why?  The Washington DC interpretation seems much more natural, as
> one of the primary goals of the war from the Union perspective was
> to preserve the Union as it stood at the time, not as it was in
> George's day.  Still, the association with George that "Washington"
> evokes adds a hint of uncertainty that makes the song more interesting.

Today, when one says, "Washington" it is assumed one means the US
Federal Government, but I suspect that in 1861 everyone inferred you
meant George.  The reason for my supposition is that George
Washiongton's status in the pantheon of American heores has diminshed
(for one thing he has been superceeded by Lincoln) and the
preoccupation with government coming from Washington, DC, has grown
(also an outgrowth of the Civil War). 

Also, remember that there was much debate over which side was the true
heir to the legacy of Geo. Washington. One of the proposed names for
the newly confederated southern states was "the Washington Republic". 
It was too important an issue to pass up any opportunity to remind the
rebellious Southern cousins that Geo. Washington was the co-designer
of the same "Stars and Stripes" which was treated with such contempt
in the South. Still, there was much talk in that day of "Washington
vs. Richmond" so it is not clear.

>    The emphasis on "THEY'D" is mine. As Jim Morgan sings the song, it
>    seems "they" refers to the "lads" who would relent and enlist, but
>    after listening to the words many times, I think "THEY" are the girls
>    themselves.
> 
> I can't see any basis for your conclusion here.  Obviously the syntax
> is ambiguous, but "they" = "lads" is the natural interpretation and
> "they" = "girls" is quite twisted (in the historical context; I'm
> not talking about current issues concerning women's roles in the
> military).  I know there are lots of songs about women enlisting
> (Jack Monroe, Female Rambling Sailor, Lisbon, Handsome Cabin Boy,
> etc. etc.), but I see not even the vaguest hint in this song
> (other than the ambiguous syntax) that this might be the case here.

Well, my basis is that I think it was a joke. In the context of 1861 the
idea of women in the military could only have been viewed as such. I
think it was part of the fun of the song, but it also was a powerful
psychological ploy. In other words, "If you, young lad, are too scared
to enlist, that pretty young thing beside you IS NOT." Remember the 
purpose of the song was to get young "lads" to sign-up.

We have briefly discussesed the secret enlistment of women on
alt.war.civil.usa, and their roles as doctors and nurses, but I am not
familiar with the songs you cite. Could you please post the lyrics of
one or two?

> --
> Gary A. Martin, Assistant Professor of Mathematics, UMass Dartmouth
> Martin@cis.umassd.edu
-- 
Paul Cowan     
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
   Please send replies, comments etc. (no flames thank you) to COWAN@ANL.GOV   
"If anyone disagrees with anything I say, I am quite prepared not only to
retract it, but also to deny under oath that I ever said it." Tom Lehrer
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Newsgroups: alt.war.civil.usa