281
The Rebel Acts of Hyde
Even after the Civil War had begun, there was a strong anti-
secession and pro-Union sentiment in Hyde county. On October
12, 1861, a convention at Hatteras adopted resolutions reaffirming
"loyalty to the Government of the United States" and expressing
"unalterable attachment to that Constitution which is the basis of
the Union founded by our fathers" ; repudiating the acts of the
Confederate General Assembly; disowning obedience to the Gov-
ernor; denying the existence of State authority; and drawing up
"a statement of grievances and a formal declaration of independ-
ence." Some of the "grievances" specified correspond closely to
the actions of the Secessionists as they are represented in the fol-
lowing ballad. (See Frank Moore, Rebellion Records, 1860-61, iii,
177-179.)
'The Rebel Acts of Hyde.' Contributed by Julian P. Boyd, Alliance.
Pamlico county, about 1927-28, as from an anonymous student in the
school there, with the note "Brought from the Civil War by a Union
soldier."
I It's now I will relate,
Though in a broken way,
How the rich in Hyde
Did carry the poor away.
^^ American Ballads and Songs (New York, 1922), p. xxii.
'' H. M. Belden (ed.), Ballads and Songs Collected by the Missouri
Folklore Society (Columbia, Mo., 1940). P- 299.
656 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
2 When the war was first begun
By the South Carolina rebs,
The Devil found his way to Hyde
And got in people's heads,
3 They said, 'We'll now secede,
The stars shall no longer over us wave ;
We'll hoist on high a little rag
That will our negroes save.'
4 They made of this a business,
Driving the country round,
To pester each poor fellow
Wherever he was found.
5 'Come, come, my good man,
Come, battle for your right ;
We'll pay the expenses of the war,
And you must go and fight.
6 'The Yankees now have come
To take your lands and life.
And will not hesitate
To take a fellow's wife.'
7 Some poor fools got very mad
At these precious rebel lies,
And away to join the army,
Behold ! how quick they fly.
8 Nor never halted once
To see what they were doing.
But went a pace of double quick
To his poor country's utter ruin.
9 Some precious promises
Those mighty Secesh made.
To every ignorant being
Whom to ruin they were leading.
10 Said they to every one
Who to the war was bound,
'Your wife shall never suffer.
And your children shall be found.'
11 Said they, 'Our barns are open now;
Come every volunteer,
And from our noble bounties.
Draw everyone a share.
NORTH CAROLINA BALLADS 6S7
12 'Well, now the men are gone,
We've got them out at last,
And if provisions should get scarce
Their children have got to fast.'
13 And sure enough, here comes
A suffering wife, a starving son.
*Oh now, if I could help you!'
Cries Secesh every one.
14 The wife cries out, 'Alas,
Where shall I go for aid?
My husband he's a rebel,
And I'm a beggar made.'
15 At length, Hatteras, Roanoke,
New Bern, and Washington were taken.
Oh ! it's now each widow and orphan
Knows they are surely all forsaken.
16 Well; let's see what Yankee conduct was.
Instead of insults to the rebel child and wife,
They kindly said to them,
'Come to our bounty and take the means of life.'
17 Every word I here have listed
Is as true as our lives.
For I've known them to feed
Four hundred rebels' wives.
18 Now Mister Secesh thought,
'Oh, this is my time to fix it ;
I swear for all the salt I can
And run it out to "Dixie." '
19 And many of them came.
As they said, 'To make amends,'
To take the oath of allegiance.
For the Yankees were their friends.
20 Then straightway home they went,
And ran off in the woods.
And in ambush wait to shoot them,
In turn for salt and goods.
21 But thank my God, in Hyde
There still remain a little few
That to the heroes of Seventy-Six
And Stars and Stripes are true.
658 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE