Drummer Boy of Shiloh
| Composer | Harry McCarthy |
| Lyricist | Unknown |
| Year Published | 1861 |
| Type | Patriotic |
| Comments | In the spring of 1861, Harry McCarthy, a variety
entertainer and comedian, wrote the stirring marching song "The Bonnie Blue
Flag." The lyrics recounted why the South found it necessary to break away from the
Union and described each state joining the Confederacy. The song was extremely popular in
the South, rivaling "Dixie" as the unofficial Confederate anthem. Union
authorities in occupied New Orleans outlawed playing the music or singing the song. Eleven
editions of "The Bonnie Blue Flag" had been printed by the end of the war, each
with slightly different lyrics. The song lost some of its popularity when, late in the
war, Harry McCarthy abandoned the South and went to Philadelphia. The tune was borrowed from the old song "The Irish Jaunting Car." |