Exultant pride soon vanish sorrow; To arms! To arms! To arms, in Dixie! Hurrah! Hurrah! For Dixie's land we take our stand, And live or die for Dixie! To arms! To arms! And conquer peace for Dixie! To arms! To arms! And conquer peace for Dixie!"' The Since the war Dixie has been as favorite a tune ✓ with bands of music throughout the North as has Yankee Doodle. Abraham Lincoln set the example for this. A war correspondent recalls an incident which occurred only a night or two before Mr. Lincoln was assassinated. The President had returned from Richmond, and a crowd called with a band to tender congratulations and a serenade. great man who was so soon to be the victim of the assassin's bullet appeared in response to calls and thanked his audience for the compliment. Several members of his Cabinet surrounded him, and it was a very interesting and dramatic occasion. Just as he was closing his brief remarks, Mr. Lincoln said: "I see you have a band with you. I should like to hear it play Dixie. I have consulted the Attorney-General, who is here by my side, and he is of the opinion that Dixie belongs to us. Now play it." The band struck up the old tune, and played it heartily. As the strains of the music rang out upon the air, cheer after cheer went up from the throats of the hundreds of happy men who had called to congratulate Mr. Lincoln upon the return of peace. It was that great soul's olive branch which he held out to the South. THE BATTLE CRY OF FREEDOM. Yes, we'll rally round the flag, boys, we'll rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom, We'll rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the plain, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! The Union forever, hurrah! boys, hurrah! While we rally round the flag, boys, rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! We are springing to the call of our brothers gone before, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom; And we'll fill the vacant ranks with a million free men more, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! We will welcome to our numbers the loyal, true, and brave, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom; And although they may be poor, not a man shall be a slave, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom! |