The Bonnie Blue Flag

Cover of the 1861 sheet music for "The Bonnie Blue Flag"

"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 Irish 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, the symbol of secession from the Union, that bears the "single star" of the chorus.

"The Bonnie Blue Flag" holds special significance to the Texas brigade. The song was premiered by lyricist Harry McCarthy during a concert in Jackson, Mississippi, in the spring of 1861 and performed again in September of that same year at the New Orleans Academy of Music for the First Texas Volunteer Infantry regiment mustering in celebration.^{[citation needed]}

The New Orleans music publishing house of A.E. Blackmar issued six editions of "The Bonnie Blue Flag" between 1861 and 1864 along with three additional arrangements. The "Band of Brothers" mentioned in the first line of the song is a reference to the St. Crispin's day speech in William Shakespeare's play Henry V.

Lyrics revision

The Bonnie Blue Flag, referred to in the song.

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 second line is sometimes given as "fighting for our liberty with treasure, blood, and toil". A copy of the 1861 song sheet posted on a website by University of San Diego professor Steve Schoenherr illustrates the "property" version.

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.

Complete lyrics of the common version

We are a band of brothers and native to the soil
Fighting for our Liberty, With treasure, blood and toil
And when our rights were threatened, the cry rose near and far
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star!

Chorus:
Hurrah! Hurrah!
For Southern rights, hurrah!
Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

2. As long as the Union was faithful to her trust
Like friends and like brethren, kind were we, and just
But now, when Northern treachery attempts our rights to mar
We hoist on high the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

Chorus

3. First gallant South Carolina nobly made the stand
Then came Alabama and took her by the hand
Next, quickly Mississippi, Georgia, and Florida
All raised on high the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

Chorus

4. Ye men of valor gather round the banner of the right
Texas and fair Louisiana join us in the fight
Davis, our loved President, and Stephens statesmen rare
Now rally round the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

Chorus

5. Now here's to brave Virginia, the old Dominion State,
With the young Confederacy at last has sealed her fate,
And spurred by her example, now other states prepare
To hoist high the bonnie blue flag that bears a single star.

Chorus

6. Then cheer, boys, cheer, raise a joyous shout
For Arkansas and North Carolina now have both gone out,
And let another rousing cheer for Tennessee be given,
The single star of the Bonnie Blue Flag has grown to be eleven.

Chorus

7. Then here's to our Confederacy, strong we are and brave,
Like patriots of old we'll fight, our heritage to save;
And rather than submit to shame, to die we would prefer,
So cheer for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

Chorus

Historical inaccuracy

The third verse of the song misstates the order in which the states seceded from the Union. The dates on which the states seceded are as follows:

South Carolina (December 20, 1860), Mississippi (January 9, 1861), Florida (January 10, 1861), Alabama (January 11, 1861), Georgia (January 19, 1861), Louisiana (January 26, 1861), Texas (February 1, 1861), Virginia (April 17, 1861), Arkansas (May 6, 1861), North Carolina (May 20, 1861), and Tennessee (June 8, 1861).

Thus, Alabama did not take South Carolina by the hand, but delayed its secession until the departure of Mississippi and Florida. The most likely reason^{[citation needed]} for the discrepancy is literary license and a desire to fit within a certain poetic meter.

Union Versions

As with many Civil War songs, this song had multiple versions for both sides. One Union version went:

We're fighting for our Union, We're fighting for our trust, We're fighting for that happy land Where sleeps our father dust. It cannot be dissevered, Though it cost us bloody wars, We never can give up the land Where floats the stripes and stars.

Chorus: Hurrah, Hurrah, For equal rights hurrah, Hurrah for the good old flag That bears the stripes and stars.

We trusted you as brothers, Unitl you drew the sword, With impious hands at Sumpter You cut the silver cord. So now you hear the bugles, We come the sons of Mars, To rally round the brave old flag That bears the stripes and stars.

Chorus

We do not want your cotton, We do not want your slaves, But rather than divide the land, We'll fill your Southern graves. With Lincoln for our chieftain, We wear our country's stars, And rally round the brave old flag That bears the stripes and stars.

Chorus

We deem our cause most holy, We know we're in the right, And twenty million freemen Stand ready for the fight. Our pride is fair Columbia, No stain her beauty mars, On her we'll raise the brave old flag That bears the stripes and stars.

Chorus

And when this war is over, We'll each resume our home, And treat you still as brothers, Where ever you may roam. We'll pledge the hand of friendship, And think no more of war, But dwell in peace beneath the flag That bears the stripes and stars.

Chorus

Another version went.

We are a band of Patriots who each leave home and friend, Our noble Constitution and our Banner to defend, Our Capitol was threatened, and the cry rose near and far, To protect our Country's glorious Flag that glitters with many a star.

Chorus: Hurrah, Hurrah, for the Union, boys Hurrah Hurrah for our forefather's Flag, that glitters with many a star.

Much patience and forbearance, the North has always shown, Toward her Southern brethren, who had each way their own; But when we made our President--a man whom we desired, Their wrath was roused, they mounted guns, and on Fort Sumter fired.

They forced the war upon us, for peaceful men are we, They steal our money, seize our forts, and then as cowards flee, False to their vows, and to the Flag, that once protected them, They sought the Union to dissolve, earth's noblest, brightest, gem.

We're in the right, and will prevail, the Stars and Stripes must fly! The "Bonnie Blue Flag" will be hauled down and every traitor die, Freedom and Peace enjoyed by all, as ne'er was known before, Our spangled Banner wave on high, with stars just Thirty Four

External links

• "The Bonnie Blue Flag", Polk Miller and his Old South Quartet (Edison Blue Amberol 2175, 1913)—Cylinder Preservation and Digitization Project.
• 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
• Bonnie Blue Flag (Full Version)
• The short film A NATION SINGS (1963) is available for free download at the Internet Archive [more]