Slave Narratives: A Folk History of Slavery in the United States from Interviews with Former Slaves, Volume II, Arkansas Narratives, Part 5 · Chapter 63FOLKLORE SUBJECTS Name of interviewer: Mrs. Bernice Bowden Subject: Songs of Civil War Days Story:—Information This information given by: Sally Neeley Place of residence: 105 N. Mulberry, Pine Bluff,
This chapter is not translated yet. You are reading the original.
[TR: Information moved from bottom of first page.] [TR: Same as previous informant (Sally Nealy).]
(1) "In eighteen hundred and sixty-one Football (?) sez I; In eighteen hundred and sixty-one That's the year the war begun We'll all drink stone blind, Johnny, come fill up the bowl. (2) "In eighteen hundred and sixty-two Football (?) sez I; In eighteen hundred and sixty-two That's the year we put 'em through We'll all drink stone blind, Johnny, come fill up the bowl. (3) "In eighteen hundred and sixty-three Football (?) sez I; In eighteen hundred and sixty-three That's the year we didn't agree We'll all drink stone blind. Johnny, come fill up the bowl. (4) "In eighteen hundred and sixty-four Football (?) sez I; In eighteen hundred and sixty-four We'll all go home and fight no more We'll all drink stone blind. Johnny, come fill up the bowl. (5) "In eighteen hundred and sixty-five Football (?) sez I; In eighteen hundred and sixty-five We'll have the Rebels dead or alive We'll all drink stone blind, Johnny, come fill up the bowl. (6) "In eighteen hundred and sixty-six Football (?) sez I; In eighteen hundred and sixty-six We'll have the Rebels in a helava fix We'll all drink stone blind, Johnny, come fill up the bowl. (7) "In eighteen hundred and sixty-seven Football (?) sez I; In eighteen hundred and sixty-seven We'll have the Rebels dead and at the devil We'll all drink stone blind. Johnny, came fill up the bowl."
Interviewer's Comment
The word "football" doesn't sound right in this song, but I was unable to find it in print, and Sally seemed to think it was the right word.
Sally is a very wicked old woman and swears like a sailor, but she has a remarkable memory.
She was "bred and born" in Rusk County, Texas and says she came to Pine Bluff when it was "just a little pig."
Says she was sixteen when the Civil War began.
I have previously reported an interview with her.