"Dey Said We Wouldn't Fight"  (1864)
Words by Mrs. Mary Ann Kidder 
Music by Mrs. Parkhurst.
author of They tell me I'll forget, 
The sigh in the heart (waltz sentimental), 
Only you and I, 
The dying drummer, 
The new emancipation song, 
A home on the mountain, 
Wait my little one wait, 
Little Joe the contraband, 
No slave beneath that starry flag, 
The soldier's dying farewell, &c.

New York : Horace Waters
Plate Number: 1028
[Source:
COLLECTION
Sheet Music from the Alfred Whital Stern Collection of Lincolniana
REPOSITORY
Rare Book and Special Collections Division, Library of Congress
DIGITAL ID
scsm0127]

1. Dey said we wouldn’t fight, 
Kase we’s born so awful black,
Kase we’s lazy from de cranum to de toes,
But dey’ll find dese darkies some 
When de rebel sojers come,
If dey’ll keep us well in powder for de foes.

[CHORUS sung after each verse]
Hi! ho! boys, we’s a gwine home 
Hi! ho! now for de fray,
Yes, when de work is done, we's all a gwine home,
And Abraham, we’s longin for de day.

2. We’s fitin for de flag 
Dat is floatin over head,
And we’s left our piccaninny’s home to cry,
But we’ll neber leabe de field 
Till de make de rebels yield,
And we’s drefful sure to do it bye and bye.

3. Put de baccy in de pipe, 
Put de powder in de gun,
And dese darkies in de foremost ob de din,
Den we’ll put de foe to rout, 
For we’ll smoke de rebels out
While dese chilen tote dere bag and baggage in.

4. Oh some hab gone away 
To de army of de Lord,
And dey lef dere gun and knapsack way behind,
But dey’ll neber see em more, 
Ober on de oder shore,
When de blessed land ob liberty dey find.