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The Flag of Secession

From Wikisource
The Flag of Secession (1862)
Anonymous

The Flag of Secession is a song written in 1862 celebrating the Southern States' decision to secede from the United States. It is sung to the tune of the Star Spangled Banner.

— Excerpted from The Flag of Secession on Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia.
41325The Flag of Secession1862Anonymous

THE FLAG of SECESSION.
Tune—“Star Spangled Banner.”

Oh, say can’t you see by the dawn’s early light
What you yesterday held to be vaunting and dreaming,
The Northern men routed, Abe Lincoln in flight,
And the palmetto flag o’er the Capitol streaming,
Tho pumpkins for fare,
The foul fetid air,
Gave proof through the night that the Yankees were there,
Now the fag of secession in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the freed and the home of the brave.

’Midst the dust that is raised by the fugitives’ feet,
His acts of coercion now bitterly rueing,
See the Rail Splitter running in panting retreat,
And gallant Virginia in laughter pursuing;
Now he catches a beam
Of the bayonet’s fierce gleam,
And he hurries away with a jump and a scream;
And the flag of secession in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the freed and the home of the brave.

But where is the despot who came to our soil,
In the garb of the soldier—his minions disguising,
And shewed them our fields and our homes as their spoil,
We only can say that his speed is surprizing;
O’er the fences he made
When that was his trade,
He has leapt in his fears from our vision to fade;
And the flag of secession in triumph doth wave
O’er the land of the freed and the home of the brave.

Oh, such is the welcome the Southron bestows
On the minions who strive to make slaves of a nation,
We’ve a hand for our friends but the sword for our foes,
And the charge of our soldiers in fierce exultation;
Then again to the fight,
And God for the right,
And the Northmen shall shrink from our warrior’s might,
And the flag of secession in triumph shall wave
O’er the land of the freed, but the home of the brave.

This work was published before January 1, 1929, and is in the public domain worldwide because the author died at least 100 years ago.

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