1.
The Irish Volunteer (As Sung by Joe English)
Not much is known today of Joe English, an Irishman and Civil War era music-hall performer /composer in New York City. He was popular enough to have a "songster" of his material (a small book of song lyrics) , entitled "Joe English's Irish and Comic Songster," published in 1864 by Dick & Fitzgerald, 18 Ann St., NY. I have used three other songs from this book on the album. Like comedians today, Joe English treated very serious subject matter with an irreverent sense of humor, and captured the essence of the character of the Irish people of his day. There were several others like him: Fred May, Frank Moore, and Tony Pastor to name a few, all of whom had songsters published, and who frequented the many inexpensive, lively, and often dingy music halls that dotted the New York of this era. It was in these theaters that the Irish found expression for their many feelings concerning their forced immigration to America, and the anti-immigrant /anti-catholic sentiments that abounded at this time. The lyric was written to the well-known tune "The Irish Jaunting Car," also known to students of the Civil War as the melody to the Rebel anthem "The Bonny Blue Flag," written in 1861 by Irish Confederate Harry McCarthy. (Top)
My name is Tim McDonald, I'm a native
of the Isle,
When I was driven form my home by an
oppressor's hand,
Now when the traitors in the south commenced
a warlike raid, |
When the Prince of Wales came over here,
and made a hubbaboo,
Now if the traitors in the South should
ever cross our roads,
Now fill your glasses up, my boys, a
toast come drink with me, |
The author of this lyric used the melody "John Anderson, my Jo," by Scottish poet/composer Robert Burns, of which a version was found in a book entitled "Good Old Songs," Volkwein Bros., Pittsburgh, PA, apparently of the late 19th century vintage. The lyric appeared in the "John Brown And The Union Right Or Wrong Songster," D.E. Appleton & Co., Publishers, 508 Montgomery Street, San Francisco, 1863. I have not yet run across the name of William Woodburn in any other Civil War period music, and research has not yet yielded any information about him. He was clearly an admirer of Colonel Michael Corcoran's 69th New York State Militia, and their courageous stand at the first major engagement of the Civil War: the battle of Bull Run. (Top) |
Regimental Color, 69th NYSM, |
On the twenty-first of July, beneath
the burning sun.
Colonel Corcoran led the Sixty-ninth
on that eventful day,
In the hottest of the fire there rode
along the line |
The colors of the Sixty-ninth, I say
it without shame,
Being overpowered by numbers, our troops
were forced to flee,
Oh, the boys of the Sixty-ninth, they
are a gallant band, |
Farewell, my gallant countrymen, who
fell that fatal day, |
|
| 3. The Opinions Of Paddy Magee (Written
and sung by Joe English)
In November, 1861, the British mail vessel "Trent," carrying two Confederate diplomats, was halted by the U.S. naval ship "San Jacinto." Its captain forcibly removed and arrested the two southerners, bringing the Union to the verge of war with Great Britain. Probably no other event brought so many Irishmen to the Union recruiters, than this prospect of fighting their ancient enemy: "John Bull." Joe English, very much a proponent of the Irish involvement in the Union war effort, uses this reason, and the fact that America had aided the Irish during the famine of the 1840's, to bolster his views. He chose a jig called "Paddy O'Carroll" for its melody, found in O'Neill's "Music of Ireland," Chicago, 1903. Evidently a popular melody in his day (another lyric, "Bad Luck To This Marching," from the Napoleonic era, was also written to this melody), but apparently having fallen out of favor, being unknown to Irish traditional musicians today. (Top)
I'm Paddy Magee, sir, from Ballinahee,
sir, |
 |
Whin Ireland was needing, and famine
was feeding, |
John Bull, ye ould divil, ye'd betther
keep civil! |
| I'm sure none are bowlder the musket
to showlder, Enlisting to learn the sojering trade-- With Corcoran fighting, in Meagher delighting, They swell up the ranks of the Irish Brigade. With Columbia defying the bould British Lion, The sons of ould Ireland forever shall be; I'll have no intervention, if that's their intention-- And that's the opinions of Paddy Magee. |
Though now we're in trouble, it's
only a bubble, We'll soon make the foes of the Union retire; Foreign knaves that would meddle had better skedaddle, For them Uncle Sam has a taste of Greek fire! They'll find if they try it, Columbia's a giant, And victory perched on the flag of the free; For the American nation can whale all creation-- And that's the opinions of Paddy Magee. |
4. The Boys Of The Irish Brigade (Mrs.
Gore)
 |
Found in the "Book Of Irish Songs" by Samuel Lover
and Charles Lever, published by A.Winch, Philadelphia, 1860, the writer of
this song remains obscure. The lyric deals with the Irish Brigade of the
French army (1691-1791), of which the Irish were rightfully proud. The fact
that this was published in America on the eve of the Civil War, leads me
to believe that it was most likely sung by the Irish who fought in the war.
No melody was specified to this one, and at the suggestion of friend Paul
Uniack, the old jig "My Lodging Is On The Cold Ground," also from O'Neill's,
was used. (Top)
|
What for
should I sing you of Roman or Greek, |
What for should I sing you of Helen or
Troy, |
What for should I sing you of classical
fun, |
|
| At the time of the release of this album, the origins of Paddy's Lamentation were a complete mystery. Since then, further research has shed a little light on the subject. The air (melody) is called "Happy Land Of Erin," and the song is one of only two on the album ever previously recorded, therefore having withstood the test of time. This version may have been written post-war, when the government began cutting back on the veteran's pensions, as the lyric might suggest. I have come across another lyric, called "The Son Of Erin's Isle," which judging from the phrasing and the fact that some of passages are identical, is clearly a variant of the same song, yet decidedly more positive toward the Irish involvement in the war. Its chorus reads: "Cheer up, boys, the time will come again, When the sons of old Erin will be steering, And to the land will go o're, They call Columbia's shore, Where there's freedom for the jolly sons of Erin." (Top) | 
Regimental Color, |
And its by the hush, Me Boys
So I sold me horse and plow Chorus:
And here's you Boys, do take my advice |
So me and a hundred more
General Meagher to us said Chorus
Now, I'd have thought meself in luck |
 |
6. The Irish Volunteer (No.2)
(Words by S.Fillmore Bennett, Music by J.P.Webster)
I have no doubt, that anyone who has done any research on Civil War music will agree that there is a huge volume of it out there. I don't believe any other period in our history produced so much topical music, and it seems that everyone with even half a knack for songwriting did so at this time. Some may have been motivated by patriotism, others merely by opportunistic entrepenuerism, and some perhaps by a little of each. This song came not from a songster, but from a song sheet, published by J.L. Peters, New York, 1862, although it also lists affiliate publishers in Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis. It is a complete arrangement, with the piano and four part vocal harmonies written out, in a style that no doubt developed into "Barber Shop Quartet" decades later. The song was copyrighted in Illinois, and may very likely have been written for the "Illinois Irish Brigade." Rosemary Cullen, of the John Hay Library at Brown University, Providence, RI, found the song for me, and I am most grateful for her tremendous efforts in helping with my research. (Top) |
Sweet Mary, me darling, the war clouds
are looming, |
Chorus: Fare thee well sweet Mary
Mavourneen, |
The land that has blessed us, with love
and protection,
With tear moistened eye-lids, I look
through the gloaming, |
The Emerald Island away in the ocean,
I go, but remember, Sweet Mary, me
darling, |
Yet another example of Joe English's enthusiasm (expressed with his typical humor) for the Irish in the Union war effort. This recruiting song, also from the above mentioned songster, was written to an old jig called "Paddy's Wedding." Finding the melody was the difficult part of putting this one together, taking nearly a year, though I was eventually steered in the direction of a book called "Old Irish Folk Music," compiled by P.W. Joyce, Dublin, 1909, which carried the tune. We are fortunate that Joyce, and a few others like him, traveled through Ireland from the mid-nineteenth century onward, collecting any kind of folk music they could find. He had several books of Irish music published, and I believe this one to have been one of his last. (Top)
Come, listen now, I'll tell you how I
came to leave Killarney, O,
I'm one of the boys that fears no noise, and me name is Paddy Kearney, O;
My father's name it was the same and my grandfather before him, O!
He carried this gun in " '98," when the green flag floated o'er him, O.
Then, O, what fun to see them run, and to leave a name in story, O!
With my father's gun I'll follow the drum, and fight my way to glory,
O.
When my father died, to his bedside he
called meself, so clever, O!
Says he, "My son, now take this gun, and guard it well forever, O;"
But the dirty laws soon clapped their paws on me, the dirty blaggards, O!
So faix one day, I sailed away to the land of Yankee Doodle, O!
Then, O, what fun, etc.
When the rebels raised a hubbaboo, and
of Sumter took possession, O,
Instead of our flag, they raised a rag--the standard of secession, O;
It's then I joined the "69th," my father's gun to shoulder, O!
For meself, you know, can slather the foe--a divil a one is boulder, O!
Then, O, what fun, etc.
I 'listed then with Meagher's men, the
rebel spalpeens shooting, O,
In the bould brigade I'm Sergeant made, so here I'm back recruiting, O;
Then boys step out, the foe to rout; I'll lead you on to glory, O,
And if you're kilt, and your blood is spilt, your name will live in story,
O!
Then, O, what fun, etc.
8. Meagher Is Leading The Irish Brigade (Anonymous)
"H.De Marsan,
Publishers
,
54 Chatham St., N.Y." is the only inscription at the bottom of this "broadside,"
or lyric sheet. This company printed hundreds of broadsides during the Civil
War, and only a scant few list date or author. The aesthetic design of the
sheet, and its lyrical content leave no doubt of its time period: that of
the early 1860's. It did list, fortunately, the melody to which the words
were written: "The Shamrock Shore." As one might imagine, there are several
songs with this title, and the one I felt worked the best was also found
in P.W. Joyce's "Old Irish Folk Music." Its interesting that only one phrase
in the lyric, "the Eagle of Freedom shrieks loud in the air," makes even
the vaguest reference to the American conflict, attesting to the fact many
in the ranks of the Irish Brigade viewed the unit's formation as being primarily
for the liberation of Ireland. Col. Kenneth Powers, historian of the 69th
New York, was kind enough to provide me with copies of this and several other
broadsides from the regiment's extensive archives, for which I am eternally
grateful. (Top)
You, true sons of Erin, awake from your
slumbers!
The war blast is sounding o'er valley and hill;
Too long you have slept in the bed of affliction..
Your moans pierce my heart, like a murmuring rill;
Your leaders were banished: yet hope has not left you,
Though firmly bound by the Conqueror's chain,
So, draw your swords quickly, while strength has been left you,
And make one bold dash for your freedom again!
Chorus: You true Sons of Erin, awake
from your slumbers!
No longer leave Tyrants your valleys invade..
Let the long silent Harp vibrate its loud numbers;
Now Meagher is leading the Irish Brigade.
| Oh! how can you slumber, submissively
yielding, While the Eagle of Freedom shrieks loud in the air, And on strange battle-fields you your sabers are wielding? No heroes or chieftain more noble are there; On history's pages your fame is recorded; Yet the proud Saxon traitor your green hills pollute, And trampled the flag which they should have regarded, So, strike for your freedom at tyrant's root.
What monster could look upon Erin's blue
mountains |
The famed Robert Emmett by perjury
smitten, His cold blooded murder all nations could see: Now it's time that his Epitaph should have been written, And Erin once more be great, glorious and free; With the worthy McManus, that Patriot martyr, Cold, cold in the grave, though their ashes remain: Yet their spirits forewarn the time is growing shorter, When Erin's Green Banner will float o'er the main.
Remember the siege of sweet Limerick
fair city, |
9. Free And Green (Carl Funk, David Kincaid)
Following a visit to Ireland in 1980, Carl Funk, a young singer-songwriter from Seattle, felt compelled to write this song, expressing his vision of Ireland's tragedies and hopes, presenting it to me in basic form upon his return. Originally, the song's protagonist was "Captain Farrell," the same name from the old Irish folk-song "Whiskey In The Jar," which Carl had learned on the trip. I thought the song was brilliant, but thought that we ought to find a different, previously unused name for the captain. Days later he called saying he had just seen the name "Taggart" on the side of a moving company's van, and wondered if the name might work. I looked into it--the name was indeed an Irish one, and worked beautifully. For my part I did minor work to the vocal melody, composed the instrumental sections, arranged of the song structure and harmonies, and we soon had a finished song. Neither Carl or I had any knowledge of the Irish Brigade of the American Civil War at this time.
| Eight years later we would learn of some very strange coincidences surrounding this song: First, that the uncommon, almost randomly chosen name turned out to have been a real person, of the same name and rank: Captain Samuel Taggart of Co. I, 116th PVI, Irish Brigade. Secondly, that he was as beloved by his men in real life as his fictional counterpart, and died on August 25th, 1864, at the battle of Ream's Station, VA, in the same manner as described in the song. Lastly, that eight years later I would unknowingly join the reenactment company portraying Taggart's men, and finally be made aware of these bizarre coincidences. Initially, I debated using the song on the album, as my purpose was to present a collection of only period songs of the Irish in the Civil War. I soon came to the conclusion that there seemed to be some unearthly forces at work with the song, compelling us to tell the world of Samuel Taggart's story, this being reason enough to justify putting it on the album. The song has become an anthem of sorts for the men in my company, and I don't think they would have ever forgiven me if I hadn't. (Top) | 
Capt. Samuel Taggart |
Captain Taggart took the field |
When the
smoke had cleared |
Chorus: |
|
Well, we took his body home |
Now the people, they all dream |
 |
10. The Harp Of Old Erin &
Banner Of Stars (Anonymous)
Another song from the "John Brown And The Union Right Or Wrong Songster," the writer of this lyric specified the old Irish melody "St. Patrick's Day." The lyric is typical of the "loftier," long-winded, poetic style of the Victorian age (as opposed to Joe English's more earthy style of the common man), and was exceedingly unwieldy to work with. Not many songs in this day and age have six to eight verses, with so many unmanageable syllables to quavers, presenting a real problem for an American folk-rock musician like myself, used to a more laid back approach to lyrics. The melody is one that has not only survived the passage of time, but seems to have remained popular throughout its history. A variation of it was used by Ludwig Van Beethoven, and I have found it in several Irish music collections going as far back as the 18th century. It is still played as a set-dance tune by Irish traditional musicians, and is one of my personal favorites. (Top)
The war trump has sounded, our rights
are in danger; |
No! I swear by the love that we bear
our old Sire-land, |
No, no! with their life's blood they'll
guard the rich treasure; |
Oh, long may our flags wave in union
together, |
|
This is the last of the songs on this album from Joe English's brilliant songster. It demonstrates the extreme to which his unshakable faith in the Union cause went, praising a list of commanders who, with the exception of one or two, are not treated so kindly by modern historians. The melody he chose is called "Doran's Ass," still popular today, although with the title and lyric of "The Spanish Lady." I found it with its original title in the book "Irish Street Ballads," by the great folk song collector/historian Colm O Lochlainn. A close variant of this melody, popular both in the mid-19th century and today, is "Tim Finigan's Wake." (Top)
Since first the dirty Southern traitors,
this foul Secession War began,
Whin all them treacherous alligators, comminced the row at Charleston,
Columbia's flag--the Star of Freedom--still has ruled on land and say;
Fools may rave, but never heed them--to bate our foes we know the way.
Chorus--Whack, fal de ral, etc.
Volunteers we have by thousands, ginerals
trusty, true, and brave;
For the union they arouse, and all would die our flag to save.
Butler down at New Orleans, he kept the rebel host at bay;
On them there to draw the reins, he quickly showed he knew the way.
Chorus--Whack, fal de ral, etc.
Gallant Meade, a hero truly, at Gettysburg
the foe met he;
And there he gave them Ballyhooly--Oh, how are you, General Lee?
Rosecrans, a soldier thorough--that's a fact none can gainsay--
The rebels met at Murfreesboro, to rout them there he knew the way.
Chorus--Whack, fal de ral, etc.
Little Sigel, for the Germans, he has
bravely stood the test;
Dix and Banks, Burnside and Sherman, all have nobly done their best.
Gineral Meagher has shown his mettle, Corcoran, too, was in the fray;
The foes of Uncle Sam to settle, the Irish boys they know the way.
Chorus--Whack, fal de ral, etc.
Thin there's Gineral Daniel Sickles,
from the field ne'er stirs a peg,
The foes catastrophe he tickles--gallant Dan has lost a leg
Gineral grant he gives them thunder; at Vicksburg he won the day;
Then to make the foe knock under, at Chattanooga, knew the way.
Chorus--Whack, fal de ral, etc.
But to call the list of fame, I haven't
room now in my song;
For, to go through each Gineral's name, 'twould keep me singing all night
long.
But of one more I'll will be telling, and who should be restored
straightway,
To put and end to this rebellion--Little Mac he knows the way.
Chorus--Whack, fal de ral, etc.
12. Pat Murphy Of Meagher's Brigade
(Anonymous)
| To my knowledge, this is the only other song on The
Irish Volunteer to have ever been recorded previously, although in a condensed
version, by other artists. It has a fairly complex history behind it, and
seems to have maintained a place in the repertoire of folk singers since
its inception during the Civil War, as it appears in several printed and
recorded collections of folk music. Through the years the song has undergone
changes. The most commonly known version in recent times is the condensed
one mentioned above, with a slight variation in the title ("Pat Murphy Of
The Irish Brigade"), only four of the original verses, and a repeating chorus.
The version presented here has six verses, each with a different chorus,
and I believe it is the original. It is another of the H. De Marsan broadsides
from the armory of the 69th New York, without date or author listed. The
song later turned up, putting any doubt about the song's date to rest, in
"Fattie Stewart's Comic Songster," published by Dick and Fitzgerald, NY,
1863. It is identical in every way to the De Marsan broadside except for
the following inscription below the title:
A Tribute to "Meagher's Men." The melody listed, "Think of your head in the morning," is described as a "Comic Song" on the Confederate songsheet on which it was found, and was published by B. Duncan & Co., Columbia, S.C., Copyright 1862. Apparently a temperance song, its author is Charlie F. Ward, "4th Ky Regt," and the cover page carries this inscription: |
Brig. General Thomas F. Meagher |
The melody is actually, not surprisingly, an older Irish tune called "Sean Buioe," which from Irish translates to "Yellow John," and can also be found in O'Neill's. This is song is another of the many examples of how songs changed hands during the Civil War, with each side writing its own lyric. (Top) |
|
'Twas the night before battle: and gathered
in groups,
Och, murdher! says Pat, it's a shame
for to see
Jeff. Davis, you thief! if I had you
but here, |
The morning
soon came, and poor Paddy awoke,
The battle was over..the dead lay in
heaps:
Then, surely, Columbia can never
forget, |
Acknowledgements:
My thanks to Rosemary Cullen of the John Hay Library of Brown University, Providence, RI, who provided me with the bulk of the titles on this album, and to the unknown librarian at the New York Library of the Performing Arts, who pointed me in that direction. Also to Col. Kenneth Powers, historian of the 69th New York, and friend and fellow researcher Jerry Ernst, who also has a fine website dedicated to Civil War Music, for his seemingly inexhaustible energies and great contributions.
All songs traditional, arranged by David Kincaid; Copyright (c) 1995 by Haunted
Field Music (BMI), except "Free And Green" composed by Carl Funk and David
Kincaid; which is Copyright (c) 1980 by Haunted Field Music/Guemes Music
(BMI).
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Regimental Color
9th Connecticut Infantry Regiment
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