Dutch Volunteer, The

DESCRIPTION: "It vas in Ni Orleans city, I first heard der drimes und fif, Und I vas so full mit lager, Dot I care nix for my life," so the German volunteers for the Southern army. Part of Hood's army, he flees from battle and gives advice on how to survive
AUTHOR: Harry McCarthy (1834-1888)
EARLIEST DATE: before 1870 (source: Rickaby/Dykstra/Leary-PineryBoys-SongsSongcatchingInLumberjackEra; but see note)
KEYWORDS: Civilwar soldier humorous
FOUND IN: US(MW)
REFERENCES (2 citations):
Rickaby/Dykstra/Leary-PineryBoys-SongsSongcatchingInLumberjackEra 58, "The Deutscher Volunteer" (1 fragmented text, 1 tune)
ADDITIONAL: W. L. Fagan, editor, _Southern War Songs: Camp-fire, Patriotic, and Sentimental_, M. T. Richardson & Co, New York, 1890 (available on Project Gutenberg), p. 10, "The Dutch Volunteer" (1 text)
NOTES [200 words]: Harry McCarthy was best known (exclusively known, really) for writing the words to "The Bonnie Blue Flag." As an entertainer, he was perfectly willing (like many comics of the time) to make fun of German immigrants.
The text in Southern War Songs says that Harry McCarthy (spelled "Macarthy" in the book) sang this "in his Personation Concerts, 1862" -- but the song says, "My name is Yacob Schneider, Und I yust come here to-night From Hood's Army up in Georgia." John Bell Hood commanded the army that lost Atlanta to General Sherman -- but that was in 1864. To be sure, Hood had been a general since 1862, but he began his career in the Army of Northern Virginia; he didn't get transferred to the west until the Chickamauga campaign in last 1863 -- and promptly lost a leg and was out of service for a long time. There was no "Hood's army up in Georgia" until Hood succeeded Joseph E. Johnston in 1864! So either McCarthy changed his song over the years (not unlikely), or the date in Southern War Songs is wrong.
It is further curious to find a German in the Southern ranks; although I have no statistics, most Germans who fought in the war are believed to have fought on the Northern side. - RBW
Last updated in version 5.0
File: RDL058

Go to the Ballad Search form
Go to the Ballad Index Song List

Go to the Ballad Index Instructions
Go to the Ballad Index Bibliography or Discography