Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-09-20

singing
"oh, wrap the flag around me, boya
To die were far more sweet
With freedoms starry emblem, boys
To be my winding sheet
In life loved to see 1t wave
And follow where il led.
And now my eyes grow dim, my hands
Would clasp its last bright shred.
Oh, had thought TO meet You, boys,
On many a well-won field
When to our starry emblem, boys
The traitrous foe should WELD
But now, alas. am denied -
Ny dearest earthly prayer,
You'll follow and you'll meet the foe,
But shall not be there.
And you will open the heart and unlock the
lips OF the grimmest old veteran living. He
VAL tell you OF the terrible battle Of the Will
derness and how his corps, the ninth, was
driven back with heavy loss, but, reforming
again. confronted the enemy and how in that
second charge his rnessmate went down with a
bullet through his lungs and only life enough
TO gasp, Wrap NE in the flag. boys and don't
let the rebs get me-" Or mayhap il will be
hero OF Cold Harbor or a survivor of South
Mountain. Sing 10 any ono OF these war-woru
veterans ono OF the pathetic old songs and he
VIII have Renaissance ready for YOU
Just Before tho Battle, Mother" was one of
the songs worn threadbsro in the north. Like
Just After the Battle" the poetry as poetry
n
at rhyme that was painful in its precision and
a certainty of Jingle" that jars horribly, bu.
these were two great songs OF that day.
coxrc SONGS.
All the songs made For the period covering
the war were not sad by any means. One of
the notable comic songs, written by Henry c.
Work in 1862 and sung on every concert stage
In the north. was Babylon Has Fallen" and
marked the first general participation Of the
negroes in war:
Don't you see de black cloud risin' over yon-
der,
whnr de massa's ole plantation amp
Nebber you be frightened. dem is only darkeys
Come to jine and fight for Uncle Sam.
Don't you see dc iishtnin' aashin in de cane
Like as IL we's gwine to hab a Storm
No! you Is mistaken, it's de darkeys' bayonots
An de buttons on dar uniform.
Way up in de corn field, whar you hear de
Dat is our ole forty-pounder gun;
"hen de shells is missn, den We load wild pun
All de same to make de towards run.
Look out dar now, ives gwine to shoot
Look out dar, don't you UNDERSTAND
Babylon has fallen, Babylon has fallen,
An ives gwine ter occurpy de LAM"
=, 1t took like wildfre and was much sung In
the south to taunt the 'Johnnies," who hated
it most heartily.
In So BY Henry Work, was Corporal
Schnapps." 1t was SO full Of homely pathos
and contained such a graphic picture OF the
life down south" that everybody sang it
milne heart ish broken into little pits,
tells you, friendt, vat for, =
Mine schweetheart, Won coot patriot kirl,
She triyes me of NIT ter war
fights for her der pattles NIT der flag,
schtrikes so prave ss can.
Put now long time sh9 mix remembers me,
Andt Goes init anothe man.
march all tay, no matter IL ter schtorm
Pc more ash Moses food,
lays AL night mine headt upon q schtump
Andt s-i-n-k-s to schleep in der mudt
They kives me hart pread toughsD q rock,
1t almost breaks mine shaw,
L schplits him sometimes NIT an iron wedge
Andt cuts HIM oop mi. a saw.
They kives me peat so ferry, ferry salt
Like Sodom's wife, you know,
Isqrely drinks dey put him in der prime
Won hundred years ecoe."
THE VACANT CHAIR.
Everybody who can remember anything
about the war vii! recall the desolate Thanks
giving of 1861. Thirteen stars in the Union
blue had been dimmed by treason and seces-
sion. The federal troops had met with repulse
and disaster in every direction. The south was
acting under its new government and the
breach was growing wider each day, while all
the strength and manhood Of the north was
rushing to dam the tide Of disloyalty and
disunion. Then was born a song worthy Of
the Time and topic. II was not sectional and
was sung In southern homes as well as north
ern. DIR. Root composed and dedicated il TO
the homes made desolate by the war, and it
was sung at a great Thanksgiving demonstra-
ton IN New York on that days
I've shall meet, but we shall miss him,
There will be one vacant chair;
We shall linger to caress him,
While we breathe our evening pray'l.
At our fireside, sad and lonely,
Often will the bosom swell
AT remembrance of the story
How our noble Willie fell,
How he strove to bear our banner
In the thckest of the fight
And uphold our countrys honor
In the strength Of manhood's might
True, they tell Us wreaths Of glory
Ever more will deck his brow,
But this only soothes the anguish
Sweeping DER our heartstrinss nov.
Sleep today, early fallen,
In thy green and narrow bed,
Dirges from the pine and cypress
Mlngle with the tears We she'd"
THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND MORE
Then on July 1, 1862, came the call for
300,0 600 more menl Hearts that beat high with
hope that tho war was about 10 end almost
broke under that stunning blow. Again the
song writer was equal to the occasion, and il
the measure was mixed and the poetic feet
sprouted corns and bunions in an effort "to
get there" there was nothing the matter with
the feet that measured Its music into marching
time. Right bravely the boys tramped away,
and Loyalty they sung.
We are coming, Father Abraham, three hun
dred thousand more,
From Mississippi's winding stream and from,
New EnglRnds shore,
We leave our plows and workshops, our wives
and children dear,
With hearts too full for utterauce. with but n
silent tear