Allan's Lone Star Ballads. a Collection of Southern Patriotic Songs, Made During Confederate Times
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2011 with funding from LYRASIS members and Sloan Foundation http://www.archive.org/details/allanslonestarbaOOalla : ALLAN'S LONE STAR BALLADS. ^je^-gifoima State Library Eaieigh A COLLECTION MADE DURING CONFEDERATE TIMES. // 4Pt.mp write the Ballads of a Nation and 1 eavf not who makps the Laws. ''—Montesquieu. i OOMPILBD AND REVISED BY FMlTOIS I). ALLAli GALVESTON, TEXAS J. D. SAWYER, PUBLISHER, 1874. r A 41 7^, Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1874, by FRANCIS D. ALLAN, In the office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. D, C. f Printeil at Galveston " News " Job Oftire. Strinklaiid & Clarke, Bin.iers, COMPILER'S NOTICE. During the war the Compiler of this little volume published a small pamphlet of Southern War So)igs under the title of Allan's Lone Star BALLADS, No. 1, also a number in sheets, with the promise that some day he would issue them, with many never before in print, in a more dur- able form, for preservation. Until now he has been prevented from mak- ing good this promise, through heavy losses, the legitimate result of the war, and which was followed by the wanton burning of all his property by Major G. W. Smith and the Federal Soldiers under his command, at the city of Brenham, in Texas, on the night of the seventh of September, 1866, long after the war was supposed to be over, and from the effects of which he has never recovered. Many of the songs in hand at that time were also destroyed, and for the past eight years he has been engaged in re-gathering them, with many that he did not have before. For these he has to return his heartfelt thanks to many kind friends, some of them personally unknown to him. To one and all who have assisted him in this work, he desires to express his gratitude. And now, at last, he has the pleasure of offering his little book to the kind regards of all who may think worthy of consideration and preserva- tion the songs so often " sung around the camp-fires " by companions-in- arms who have " fought their last battle " and " passed over the river " from their sight forever. The Compiler has been desirous of making the work as complete and comprehensive as possible . Adhering to his original desire of issuing in a pamphlet form the genuine " Songs of the People," the present volume will be found to consist, in a great part, of Original Patriotic Songs evidently the offspring of the stirring events by which their writers were surrounded, and many of which are printed now for the first time. They have been selected with great care from a vast number of contributions from all parts of the State, as well as the Confederacy generally, and show an elevation of sentiment, and a genuine poetic feeling, rarely called forth in a People, except when filled with enthusiasm for their cause, and feel- ing conscious of its justice^ O C^ ^^ /I IV The Compiler may be permitted to say, by way of apology for whatever of literary demerit a strict criticism may fiud in some of its unlettered effusions, that he has been influenced solely by a desire to preserve, in as permanent a form as possible, a very important, but often neglected, por- tion of the history of those times that can never be forgotten. Who that has heard the terrible shout of the Marseillaise, or our own more joyous song of Dixie shouted in chorus in times of National excitement, could fail to mark how deeply the heart of the People can be touched by words or strains, no matter how rude, which gives vent to the stirring emotions of the day ? These "Songs of the People "—the fleeting impress of the time—it has been his object to preserve in this compilation ; and if any of them may, in after time, sound dvill to the reflned ear, it must be remembered that they were composed, and sung, perhaps, amid the din and roar of bat- tle by the Soldier who gave his all, his strength, and noble courage, to the liberties of his country ! The Compiler has had access to nearly, perhaps, every Southern Song Book published, yet has found but few songs in them that he has thought exactly appropriate for this Memento, for the reason that they do not con- tain those. Songs—the life of the conflict—that were generally sung in the Camp, but yet they are all good, and worthy of preservation, as having been called forth by, and a part of the History of the War. In conclusion, the Compiler can only hope that the book will be received by the people with as much pleasure as he has experienced in gathering and preparing the selections for it. FRANCIS D. ALLAN, Compiler. Galveston, Texas, November, 1874. The Compiler is satisfied that not only in Texasi, but throughout the Southern States, many persons have in their possession copies of War Songs or Poetry that have never appeared in book form. He will he obliged to .whoever will send him copies of the same that he may use them in a more extended volume of Southern Patriotic Songs. —; ! SOUTHEEU PATHIOTIC SOITGS. HOOD'S TEXAS BEIGADR Down by the valley 'mid thunder and lightning, Down by the valley 'mid shadows of night, Down by the deep crimson'd valley of Richmond, Twenty-five hundred mov'd on to the fight Onward, still onward, to the portals of glory, To the sepulchral chambers, yet never dismayed ; Down by the deep crimson'd valley of Richmond, March'd the bold warriors of Hood's Texas Brigade ! See ye the fires and flashes still leaping ? See ye the tempest and jettings of storm V See ye the banners of proud Texan heroes. In front of her column, move steadily on ? Hear ye the music that gladdens each comrade. Riding on wings through torrents of sounds ? Hear ye the booming adown the red valley V * Riley ! unbuckles his swarthy old hounds ! Valiant Fifth Texas ! I saw your brave column Rush through the channels of living and dead ; Sturdy Fourth Texas ! Why weep your old war-horse V He died as he wish'd, in the gear, at your head : West Point ! ye will tell, on the pages of glory. How the blood of the South ebb'd away near your shad<\, And how Sons of Texas ! fought in the red valley, xlnd fell in the columns of Hood's Texas Brigade Fathers and mothers, ye weep for your jewels ; Sisters, ye weep for your brothers in vain ; Maidens, ye weep for your sunny-eyed lovers Weep, for you'll never behold them again ! But know ye that vict'ry, the shrine of the noble, Encircles the house of death newly made ! * Capt. Riley commanded a Battery composed of Irishmen, from North Carolina, and was nearly always attached to Hood's BRiGADt;. The " swarthy old hounds " refer to his Napoleon guns. ; ! ; ; — SOUTHERN PATEIOTIC SONGS. And know ye tliat Freedom, the slirine of tlie mighty, Shines forth on the banners of Hood's Texas Brigade ! Daughters of Southland ! come bring ye bright flowers, Weave ye a chaplet for the brow of the brave ; Bring ye the emblems of freedom and victory ; Bring ye the emblems of death and the grave ; Bring some motto befitting a hero ye ; Bring exotics that never will fade ye ; Come to the deep crinison'd valley of Richmond, And crown our young Chief of the Texas Brigade THE SOLDIESS' SOM OP PASS OAVALLO. BY COL. C. G, FORSHEY, C. S. ENGINEEKS. Down the Matagorda Bay, flow the waters smooth and shallow, Gaining fleetness on the way, hurrying down to Pass Cavallo ; In and .outward, night and day, pushing through the Pass Cavallo Lost in foaming ocean spray, round the .gate of Pass Cavallo.* Many waters gladly meet in the Bays that glimmer nigh you ; And with names of beauty greet, gliding down to Pass Cavallo ; Bubbling now in music sweet, rolling thro' the Pass Cavallo, [vallo. Lost where the madden'd breakers meet, down beyond the Pass Ca- Colorado leads the van, then Karankawa Arroya, Eddying round the level land, dancing down to Pass Cavallo In and outward o'er the sand, roaring thro' the Pass Cavallo, Swallow'd up in billows grand, far below the Pass Cavallo. Trespalacios, Navidad, and the murmuring Ayrenosa, Join their music, ever glad, with the laughing Alambrosa ; Then Lavaca's limpid tide, (with the clear Gai'citas vieing). Swells the chorus as they glide thro' the sweeping Pass Cavallo. Casa Blanca whimpers on, like a gentle South wind sighing Indianola fills the song, swelling down to Pass Cavallo Louder, deeper, sweep along, thro' the rushing Pass Cavallo [vallo ; Lost where frighten'd billows throng, round the mouth of Pass Ca ^ *In all the stanzas after the first, pronounce " Cavallo " with the Span- ish liquid sound, Ca-vi-yo. — ; ; SOUTHERN PATRIOTIC SONGS. 7 All the laughing; rivers meet, near Saluria's placid Baj'-ou, Mingling in the narrow'd street, gushing thro' the Pass Cavallo ; Washing Esperanza's seat, by the seething Pass Cavallo ; Lost around the Yankee fleet, dogging now the Pass Cavallo. Yankee Hessians, on yon ship, every Rebel here would try you, If you dared to take a step on the shore of Pass Cavallo ; ^ Not a rascal shall escape, if you land at Pass Cavallo Riddled well with ball and grape, you shall sleep at Pass Cavallo.