Army Life in a Black Regiment Part 12

The next was sung in such an operatic and rollicking way that it was quite hard to fancy it a religious performance, which, however, it was. I heard it but once.

XXIH. EARLY IN THE MORNING.

"I meet little Rosa early in de mornin', O Jerusalem! early in de mornin'; And I ax her, How you do, my darter?

O Jerusalem! early in de mornin'.

"I meet my mudder early in de mornin', O Jerusalem! &c.

And I ax her, How you do, my mudder?

O Jerusalem! &c.

"I meet Brudder Robert early in de mornin', O Jerusalem! &c.

And I ax him, How you do, my sonny?

O Jerusalem! &c.

"I meet t.i.ttawisa early in de mornin', O Jerusalem! &c.

And I ax her, How you do, my darter?

O Jerusalem!" &c.

"t.i.ttawisa" means "Sister Louisa." In songs of this cla.s.s the name of every person present successively appears.

Their best marching song, and one which was invaluable to lift their feet along, as they expressed it, was the following. There was a kind of spring and lilt to it, quite indescribable by words.

XXIV. GO IN THE WILDERNESS.

"Jesus call you. Go in de wilderness, Go in de wilderness, go in de wilderness, Jesus call you. Go in de wilderness To wait upon de Lord.

Go wait upon de Lord, Go wait upon de Lord, Go wait upon de Lord, my G.o.d, He take away de sins of de world.

"Jesus a-waitin'. Go in de wilderness, Go, &c.

All dem chil'en go in de wilderness To wait upon de Lord."

The next was one of those which I had heard in boyish days, brought North from Charleston. But the chorus alone was identical; the words were mainly different, and those here given are quaint enough.

XXV. BLOW YOUR TRUMPET, GABRIEL.

"O, blow your trumpet, Gabriel, Blow your trumpet louder; And I want dat trumpet to blow me home To my new Jerusalem.

"De prettiest ting dat ever I done Was to serve de Lord when I was young.

So blow your trumpet, Gabriel, &c.

"O, Satan is a liar, and he conjure too, And if you don't mind, he'll conjure you.

So blow your trumpet, Gabriel, &c.

"O, I was lost in de wilderness.

King Jesus hand me de candle down.

So blow your trumpet, Gabriel," &c.

The following contains one of those odd transformations of proper names with which their Scriptural citations were often enriched. It rivals their text, "Paul may plant, and may polish wid water," which I have elsewhere quoted, and in which the sainted Apollos would hardly have recognized himself.

XXVI. IN THE MORNING.

"In de mornin', In de mornin', Chil'en? Yes, my Lord!

Don't you hear de trumpet sound?

If I had a-died when I was young, I never would had de race for run.

Don't you hear de trumpet sound?

"O Sam and Peter was fishin' in de sea, And dey drop de net and follow my Lord.

Don't you hear de trumpet sound?

"Dere's a silver spade for to dig my grave And a golden chain for to let me down.

Don't you hear de trumpet sound?

In de mornin', In de mornin', Chil'en? Yes, my Lord!

Don't you hear de trumpet sound?"

These golden and silver fancies remind one of the King of Spain's daughter in "Mother Goose," and the golden apple, and the silver pear, which are doubtless themselves but the vestiges of some simple early composition like this. The next has a humbler and more domestic style of fancy.

XXVII. FARE YE WELL.

"My true believers, fare ye well, Fare ye well, fare ye well, Fare ye well, by de grace of G.o.d, For I'm going home.

Ma.s.sa Jesus give me a little broom For to sweep my heart clean, And I will try, by de grace of G.o.d, To win my way home."

Among the songs not available for marching, but requiring the concentrated enthusiasm of the camp, was "The Ship of Zion," of which they had three wholly distinct versions, all quite exuberant and tumultuous.

XXVIII. THE SHIP OF ZION.

"Come along, come along, And let us go home, O, glory, hallelujah?

Dis de ole ship o' Zion, Halleloo! Halleloo!

Dis de ole ship o' Zion, Hallelujah!

"She has landed many a tousand, She can land as many more.

O, glory, hallelujah! &c.

"Do you tink she will be able For to take us all home?

O, glory, hallelujah! &c.

"You can tell 'em I'm a comin', Halleloo! Halleloo!

You can tell 'em I'm a comin', Hallelujah!

Come along, come along," &c.

XXIX. THE SHIP OF ZION. (Second version.)

"Dis de good ole ship o' Zion, Dis de good ole ship o' Zion, Dis de good ole ship o' Zion, And she's makin' for de Promise Land.

She hab angels for de sailors, (Thrice.) And she's, &c.

And how you know dey's angels? (Thrice.) And she's, &c.

Good Lord, Shall I be one? (Thrice.) And she's, &c.

"Dat ship is out a-sailin', sailin', sailin', And she's, &c.

She's a-sailin' mighty steady, steady, steady, And she's, &c.

She'll neither reel nor totter, totter, totter, And she's, &c.

She's a-sailin' away cold Jordan, Jordan, Jordan, And she's, &c.

King Jesus is de captain, captain, captain, And she's makin' for de Promise Land."

x.x.x. THE SHIP OF ZION. (Third version.)

"De Gospel ship is sailin', Hosann-sann.

O, Jesus is de captain, Hosann-sann.

De angels are de sailors, Hosann-sann.

O, is your bundle ready?

Hosann-sann.

O, have you got your ticket?

Hosann-sann."

This abbreviated chorus is given with unspeakable unction.