A version of the song, entitled "The Southern Wagon" was written during the American Civil War by soldiers in the Confederacy. The lyrics glorify and justify their secession, and mentions both the Battle of First Manassas and General P. G. T. Beauregard. A Unionist version was also published, "The Old Union Wagon." This compared the wagon itself to the Union, as it was built out of "Charter Oak", and enjoined listeners to "stick to our Wagon."