"The Brass Mounted Army" (circa 1861-1865)
Words: anonymous
Music adapted
from "Wait for the Wagon" (1851)
by R. Bishop Buckley, 1810-1867

1.
O whisky is the monster
that ruins great an' small,
But in old Kirby's army,
Headquarters gets it all.

CHORUS
O how do you like the army?
The brass mounted army,
The high-falutin' army,
Where eagle buttons rule.

2.
They drink it when it's plenty,
Although they think it hard,
But if a private touches it,
They put him under guard.

(CHORUS)

3.
Our army is more richer
Than when the war begun,
Furnishes three tables,
An' then they set but one.

(CHORUS)

4.
The first is richly laden
Of chicken, goose an' duck,
The next is pork an' mutton,
The third is pore old buck.

(CHORUS)

5.
Our generals eat the poultry,
The get it very cheap,
Our colonels and our captains
Devours the hogs and sheep.

(CHORUS)

6.
Our soldiers git so hungry
They're bound to press a pig,
The biggest stamp in Dixie
They're sure to have a did.

(CHORUS)

7.
On every big plantation
Or a big holder's yard,
Just to save his property
Our generals place a guard.

(CHORUS)

8.
An' now my song is ended
It's beautiful and true,
The pore men and the widders
Must have a line or two.

(CHORUS)

9.
For there no guard is stationed,
Their fence is often burned,
Their property's molested,
As long ago we learned.

(CHORUS)