Monday, March 18, AD 2024 10:51pm

Army of the Free

Something for the weekend.  Army of the Free, one of the more rousing of the Civil War songs.  Sung by Bobby Horton who has waged a one man crusade to bring the music of the Civil War to modern audiences.

And here is another rendition:

Army of the Free

In the army of the Union,
we are marching in the van,
And will do the work before us,
if the bravest soldiers can;
We will drive the Rebel forces
from their strongholds to the sea,
And will live and die together
in the Army of the Free.
 

      Army of the Free,
     The Army of the Free,
     We will live and die together
     in the Army of the Free.

We may rust beneath inaction,
we may sink beneath disease
The summer sun may scorch us
or the winter’s blast may freeze,
But whatever may befall us,
we will let the Rebels see,
The unconquered we shall remain
the Army of the Free,

     The Army of the Free,
     The Army of the Free,
     Unconquered we shall remain
     The Army of the Free.

We are the best division of
a half a million souls,
And only resting on our arms
till the war cry onward rolls;
When our gallant General Porter calls,
why ready we shall be,
To follow him forever
with the Army of the Free,

     The Army of the Free,
     The Army of the Free,
     We will follow him forever
     With the Army of the Free.

We have Butterfield the daring
and we’ve Martindale the cool,
Where could we learn the art of war
within a better school,
Add Morel to the list of names,
and we must all agree,
We have the finest Generals
in the Army of the Free,

     The Army of the Free,
     The Army of the Free,
     We have the finest Generals
     In the Army of the Free.

Though we live in winter quarters now,
we’re waiting but the hour,
When Porter’s brave division
shall go forth in all its power,
And when on the field of battle,
fighting we shall be,
We’ll show that we cannot disgrace
the Army of the Free,

     The Army of the Free,
     The Army of the Free,
     We’ll show that we cannot disgrace
     The Army of the Free,

Then hurrah for our division,
may it soon be called to go,
To add its strength to those who have
advanced to meet the foe;
God bless it, for we know right well,
     wherever it may be,
‘Twill never fail to honor our great
     Army of the Free,

     The Army of the Free,
     The Army of the Free,
     ‘Twill never fail to honor our great
     Army of the Free.

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Teresa
Saturday, October 23, AD 2010 6:16am

Great song! I like both renditions. Thanks for the morning music.

T. Shaw
T. Shaw
Saturday, October 23, AD 2010 10:05am

In rebellious Ireland, the melody was fitted with the following words (in part).

“O, Paddy dear and did you hear the news that goin’ ’round?
The shamrock is forbid by law to grow in Irish ground!”

And,

“St. Paddy’s Day no more we’ll keep . . . ”

And,

“They’re hanging men and women for the wearing of the green!”

That’s all I can remember at the moment.

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