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.