Who Marched in Sixty-One
CAL STEWART, New York, Memorial Day, 1903.
I’VE jist bin down at the corner, mother,To see the boys in line,Dressed up in their bran’ new uniforms,I tell you they looked fine.And as they marched past whar I stood,To the rattle of the drum,It made me think of those other boysWho marched in sixty-one.
The old flag wuz proudly wavin’, mother,Jist as it did one dayWhen you stood thar to say good-bye,And watch me march away.So I stood thar and watched themTill the parade wuz nearly done,But thar wasn’t many thar to-dayWho marched in sixty-one.
And thar wuz my old CaptainAnd the Colonel side by side,And as they both saluted meI jist sot down and cried.And I thought about some other boysWhose work has long bin done;Soon thar won’t be any left at allWho marched in sixty one.
I heered the band play Dixie,And my old heart swelled with pride,A-thinkin’ of the boys in grayWho marched on the other side.And when my time it comes, mother,The Lord’s will it be done,I hope he’ll take me to the boysWho marched in sixty-one.