“The Dying Fifer”

Description

"When the battle was hot and raging Shot and shell around did fly... When I heard a piercing cry." The ship's fifer is mortally wounded. He sends dying messages to his mother and the rest of his family

Notes

Broadside Bodleian Harding B 31(29) seems to be exactly the source for Smith/Hatt, word-for-word, including parenthesis and headnote "Composed by C.G. Wright, on board the U.S. Steam-ship Mississippi, (New Orleans.) Air: James Bird; or Dying Californian."

Broadside Bodleian Harding B 31(29): H. De Marsan dating per _Studying Nineteenth-Century Popular Song_ by Paul Charosh in American Music, Winter 1997, Vol 15.4, Table 1, available at FindArticles site. - BS

Cross references

Broadsides

  • Bodleian, Harding B 31(29), "Our Fifer-Boy," H. De Marsan (New York), 1861-1864

References

  1. BrownII 227, "The Dying Fifer" (1 text)
  2. Smith/Hatt, pp. 94-95, "Our Fifer Boy" (1 text)
  3. Roud #1977
  4. BI, BrII227

About

Author: C. G. Wright?
Earliest date: before 1865 (broadside, Bodleian Harding B 31(29))
Keywords: death battle sailor
Found in: US(SE) Canada(Mar)