229
The Battle of Shiloh Hill
From Professor M. G. Fulton, Davidson College, Davidson,
Mecklenburg county; undated and described as "incomplete." On
October 9, 1914, Professor Fulton wrote Dr. Brown that he was
enclosing the "remainder of 'Shiloh Hill.' "
The "incomplete" copy differs from the "remainder" in having a
refrain, in being shorter and having some fragmentary stanzas, and
in showing slight verbal variations.
Study of the two indicates that the "remainder" was copied from
some printed collection. A likely source for the copying seems to
be Allan's Lone Star Ballads, A Collection of Southern Patriotic
Songs, Made during Confederate Times, compiled and revised by
Francis D. Allan (Galveston, Texas: J. D. Sawyer, Publisher,
1874), pp. 44-5. The "remainder" and Allan's version have the
same title, the same subcaption, "(Air: Wandering Sailor. Ascribed
to M. B. Smith, Company C, Second Regiment, Texas Volunteers.),"
and the same wording; neither has a refrain.
It is concluded, then, that the following is an oral version, from
memory, and the "remainder" text will not be reproduced.
536 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
1 Come all ye valiant soldiers,
A story I will tell
About a noted battle
Ye all remember well.
Refrain:
Sing carry me away, oh, carry me away.
2 It was an awful strife,
And will cause your blood to chill.
It was an awful battle
That was fought on Shiloh's Hill.
3 It was the first of April,
About the break of day;
The drums and fifes were playing
For us to march away.
4 About the hour of sun
The two armies they did meet;
The battle it began.
Before the day was ended.
They fought hand to hand.
So early the next morning
We were called to arms again.
Mindful of the wounded,
And mindful of the slain.
'Protect my wife and children,
If it be Thy holy will' —
These were the cries I heard
All over Shiloh's Hill.