The Flag of Secession is a song written in 1862 celebrating the secession of the southern states from the Union. The song is sung to the tune of "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the United States. The author of the song is unknown. It was included in Frank Moore's (ed.) Rebellion Record (New York: G.P. Putnam, 1864), vol. 3, "Poetry and Incidents," p. 38.
Contents
Lyrics
Oh, say can't you see by the dawn's early light
What you yesterday held to be vaunting and dreaming,
The Northern men routed, Abe Lincoln in flight,
And the palmetto flag o'er the Capitol streaming?
The pumpkins for fare,
The foul fetid air,
Gave proof through the night that the Yankees were there;
Now the flag of secession in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
'Midst the dust that is raised by the fugitives' fees,
His acts of coercion now bitterly rueing,
See the Rail Splitter running in panting retreat,
And gallant Virginia in laughter pursuing;
Now he catches a beam
Of the bayonet's fierce gleam,
And he hurries away with a jump and a scream;
And the flag of secession in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave.
But where is the despot who came to our soil,
In the garb of the soldier - his minions disguising,
And showed them our fields and our homes as their spoil,
We only can say that his speed is surprising;
O'er the fences he made
When that was his trade.
He has leapt in his fears from our vision to fade;
And the flag of secession in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the freed and the home of the brave.
Oh, such is the welcome the Southron bestows
On the minions who strive to make slaves of a nation,
We've a hand for our friends but the sword for our foes,
And the charge of our soldiers in fierce exultation;
Then again to the fight,
And God for the right,
And the Northmen shall shrink from our warriors' might,
And the flag of secession in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the freed and the home of the brave.