Mother, Is the Battle Over?

DESCRIPTION: The boy asks, "Mother, is the battle over? Ten thousand have been slain, they say. Is my father coming? Tell me, Have the rebels gained the day?" The boy sees his mother crying, and assumes his father is dead. At last mother admits the truth
AUTHOR: Henry Werner
EARLIEST DATE: 1863
KEYWORDS: father battle death
FOUND IN: US(So)
REFERENCES (4 citations):
Randolph 243, "Mother, Is the Battle Over?" (1 text)
Cox-FolkSongsSouth 75, "Mother, Is the Battle Over?" (1 text)
Wolf-AmericanSongSheets, #1466, pp. 99-100, "Mother, Is the Battle Over?" (14 references)
DT, BTTLOVER*
Roud #5462
CROSS-REFERENCES:
cf. "Does Your Mother Know You're Out" (floating lyrics)
NOTES [58 words]: Although not especially popular in tradition, it was sufficiently well-known at the time of composition to inspire an "Answer." According to Wolf, p. 4, there were at least five different prints of "Answer to Mother I the Battle Over?" This four-verse piece began "Yes, my boy, the battle's over," and one print credits it to James Wakefield. - RBW
Last updated in version 3.5
File: R243

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