The Bonnie Blue Flag
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"The Bonnie Blue Flag", also known as "We Are a Band of Brothers", is an 1861 marching song associated with the Confederate States of America. The words were written by Ulster-born entertainer Harry McCarthy, with the melody taken from the song "The Irish Jaunting Car". The song's title refers to the unofficial first Flag of the Confederacy, the "Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star" of the chorus.
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[edit] Lyrics controversy
The first verse of the song goes:
- We are a band of brothers and native to the soil,
- Fighting for the property we gained by honest toil;
- And when our rights were threatened, the cry rose near and far,
- Hurrah! for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.
The first line explains the song's alternate title. The second line is sometimes given as "fighting for our liberty with treasure, blood, and toil". This has been taken as an attempt at historical revisionism for political purposes. A copy of the 1861 song sheet posted on a website by University of San Diego professor Steve Schoenherr proves that the "property" version is, in fact, the original version.[1]
According to Schoenherr, the song sheet was first published in 1861 by A. E. Blackmar and Brother in New Orleans. When Major General Benjamin Butler captured New Orleans, he allegedly arrested Blackmar, fined Blackmar $500, destroyed all copies of the music, and ordered that anyone caught whistling or singing "The Bonnie Blue Flag" would be fined $25 (about $482 in 2005).[1] Eleven other editions of the song were published with different lyrics.
[edit] Media
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[edit] References
[edit] External links
- A performance of the song in the 2003 film Gods and Generals, in a scene set in a Confederate camp which includes cameo appearances by Ted Turner and U.S. Senators George Allen (R-Va) and Robert Byrd (D-WV).
- Lyrics and melody to the song, including a refutation of the alternate lyrics
- Photos of the cover and song sheet dated from 1861, as well as historical trivia regarding the song
- Sheet music for "The Bonnie Blue Flag", from Project Gutenberg
- MIDI for "The Bonnie Blue Flag", from Project Gutenberg
