Uncle Josh's Punkin Centre Stories

Who Marched in Sixty-One

CAL STEWART, New York, Memorial Day, 1903.

      I'VE jist bin down at the corner, mother,
          To see the boys in line,
      Dressed up in their bran' new uniforms,
          I tell you they looked fine.
      And as they marched past whar I stood,
          To the rattle of the drum,
      It made me think of those other boys
          Who marched in sixty-one.

      The old flag wuz proudly wavin', mother,
          Jist as it did one day
      When you stood thar to say good-bye,
          And watch me march away.
      So I stood thar and watched them
          Till the parade wuz nearly done,
      But thar wasn't many thar to-day
          Who marched in sixty-one.

      And thar wuz my old Captain
          And the Colonel side by side,
      And as they both saluted me
          I jist sot down and cried.
      And I thought about some other boys
          Whose work has long bin done;
      Soon thar won't be any left at all
          Who marched in sixty one.

      I heered the band play Dixie,
          And my old heart swelled with pride,
      A-thinkin' of the boys in gray
          Who marched on the other side.
      And when my time it comes, mother,
          The Lord's will it be done,
      I hope he'll take me to the boys
          Who marched in sixty-one.