SONG BALLET
SONG BALLET
1st Little do you good people know
What we poor souldiers undergo
When called upon to take up armes
To guard our country from all harm.
2nd Sometimes we ly on the cold ground
When there is no shelter to be found
Where some times rain and some times snow
Where lofty winds and tempest blow
3rd At the break of day and morning gun
At revely with the fife and drum
To break the souldiers sweet repose
He rouses up puts on his cloathes
4th The Sergent comes and goes about
Saying hurry hurry turning out
In front and rear he formes his line
His countrymen with swords doath shine
5th Eyes right and eyes left studdy is word
Our captain then presents his sword
Our sergent pulls out his roll
Our names are called and absent oh
6th Our sergent is man of skill
And every day he gives a pill
And if that pill does not act well
He will curse and dam their souls to hell
7th Our officers had officers are some times
Ware out their men for the want of care
Brings them to a despert end
And brings them in a distant land
8th Where there is no fried or relative near
To shead a sympathising tear
To nurce them on a diing bead
Or lenry them when they are dead
9th Some times up staars they do command
With swords in hand or thundering band
They talk and act as if they were
Some king or preast of empire
10th Now as for out gorge we get a nough
All though our beef boath lean and tuff
But as for that we want complain
We hope to get good beef a gain
11th In old Virginia we have a plan
To soberise a drunk man
We will have him gaged we will have him bucked
And after all we will ducked
12th Now if you want to know who composed this song
Il tell you it want tak me long
It was composed by A.T. Wite
While walking past one rainey night
Per E. D. Gamblin, Lt. Col. 40th Misp. Reg
For James Palmer, Corpl Co 12, 40th Regt Mississippi Vols
When this you see remember me though a many a mile a part we may be offen shall I think of my friend.E.D.G.
Source:Claudia Luke Cox, Neshoba County, MS
Typed as written c. 1863