The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1885-06-19
WAR TIMES RECALLED.
A Few Stanzas From Some Old
Confederate War Songs.

those stirring StfalhS.
A few of the old "war songs
have survived. Such songs as
"Dixie," Maryland, my Mary
land" and others belong to the i'm
mOrtals. While flows the blood in
Southern heart, their wild melo.
dy Will cause the pulse to quicken ;
and when the band strikes "DIxie"
the response is generally the same
old "rebell yell" that nerved the
arm of StOnewall Jackson's "toot
cavalry"
The first time / ever heard "Dix-
10" it was played on an Old-time
fiddle. | had "a dear uncle who
lived on Mud Swamp, in Lowndes
caunty. He was first-rate per
former, and i shall never forget the
thrill | experienced when he struck
up Dixie. The old fiddle almost
spoke the homely lines:
"In Dixie's land whar was born
Early on one frosty mOrnin',
Look away; Look away,
A1OVh away AOA OA< 10 . Aduus
The plaintive rythms of the song
as they rose aud fell awOke the
echoes, and a startled mocking
bird uttered few short notes in
reply.
"Away down south in Dixie r.
The notes went ringing out through
the dark pine woods and were re.
echoed from gloomy swamp where
great owl uttered the sOmbre
query, ito whOf to who n
Uncle Ben left next day and new
er came back.
How often have heard the brave
boys sing, with suspicious culver
that sounded almost like a sob:
"I'm lonely since l crossed the hills
For the girl left behind me-"
And how often was it the case
that the brave laddie never came
back, but left the dear one behind
forever for aye, to weep till hel
young heart broke for the soldier
boy whose form was left to moul
der BY Shenandoah's bloody tor
rent.
And how the girls used to sing
"My homespnn dress is plain l know,
My hats palmetto too,
But then it shows what southern girls
For southern rights will do.
Huzza huzza! tor the Bonnie Blue Flag
That bears a single star"
One ridiculous piece of doggerel
was very popular among the young.
sters. 1t ran:
"Ole Gin'ral Scott. he began to trot,
When he saw the seeds of secession
a-sowin'.
He began to trOt for his gallon pot:
To carry all the rebels over Jordan.
John Browns dead an the last word he
said
Was don keep me ere a stamina
and so on.
l remember another we relished :
"ole massa settin' in lie windah see dc
smoke
Whsf de Linkum gunboats lay"
Then it went on to a verse which
ran:
''Ds eberseer e steps about, an e cuts er
nifty swell;
So we lock um up in de smoke house cell
lab, de key frowed in de we'll"
You see we kids cared very little
about sentiment, the song was what
we we're after.
'The Berrien hills air so steep,
Ther 'nOugh to make pO' details weep,
An / wish wus at home,
An at home arter be;
AN ef wus at home
The varmits wouldn't bite me-"
One Of a more martial character
was:
an take my knapsack on my back,
Ny rifle on my shoulder;
Put on the gray, and march away,
For Pm bonnd to be a soldier
One Of the favorites with ladies,
began:
"on the banks Of the Potomac, there's an
army so grand,
And they are trying TO subjugate Dixie's
fair land.'
Did you ever sit on a crooked
fence, just as the sun had sunk to
rest, aud the whole west was a
blaze of glory with the first faint
stars just peePing ont in the purple
dome of heaven : If you ever did,
aud was so fortunate as to hear two
or three negro boys about half mile
Of, "blowiDg quills," as they came
trOm the fields, then you have not
lived in vain. This quaint instru-
ment was made Of two or three
reeds, cut different lengths, and
held with the edge to the lips. The
notes that were lacking were sup
piled by hallooing. The music has
never been excelled IN sweetness.
All, mel 50 TAR as pure, unalloy-
ed, happiness is concerned I'd rath-
er be a plantation darkey, and pillow
a One-eyed mule, than to wear the
purple aud tine linen Of an empe-
ror aud fare sumptuously every
day,
There never was, nor is, nor ever
viii be, anything as sweet as the