Abe Lincoln Stood- Cummings (VA) 1917 Davis Appendix
[This parody of Lord Lovel is found in Davis, Traditional Ballads of Virginia as an Appendix. Ballad Index notes follow.
R. Matteson 2012, 2014]
Ballad Index: Abraham Lincoln's wife was Mary Todd; this apparently become "Lizzie Tod[d]" in the ballad. The song as collected by Davis appears to be a fragmentary account of the various Federal attempts to take Richmond in 1861-1862. The first attempt lasted only "one or two days," seemingly referring to McDowell's Bull Run campaign of 1861. This was followed by McClellan's Peninsular campaign of spring and summer 1862, seemingly not mentioned in the song. The final stanza refers to Lincoln's "Burnside horse," which "stuck tight in the mire." Ambrose Burnside was in charge at the Battle of Fredericksburg, which may or may not be alluded to, and also commanded the "mud march," clearly the subject of the last line.]
ABE LINCOLN STOOD AT THE WHITE HOUSE GATE- text from Mrs T. C. Cummins of Rumford, Va. 1917 (printed in Davis, TBVa p 258.) Tune from singing of Philander Fitzgerald, Nash, Va. (Printed in BIB 5, Vol. II, p. 202.)
1 Abe Lincoln stood at the White House Gate
Combing his milk-white steed,
When along came Lady Lizzie Tod,
Wishing her lover good speed, speed, speed,
Wishing her lover good speed.
2 'Where are you going, Abe Lincoln?' she said,
'Where are you going?' said she;
'I 'm going, my dearest Lizzie Tod,
O'er Richmond for to see, see, see,
O'er Richmond for to see '.
3 'When will you be back, Abe Lincoln?' she said,
'When will you be back?' said she.
'In sixty or ninety days at the most,
'I'll return to my Lady Lizzie, -zie, -zie,
I'll return to my Lady Lizzie '.
4 He hadn't been gone more than one or two days,
O'er Richmond for to see,
When back to the White House Gate he came,
All tattered and torn was he, he, he,
All tattered and torn was he.
5 ' How do you flourish, Abe Lincoln?' she said,
'How do you flourish?' said she.
'The rebels have killed my old Scotch horse,
And I have skedaddled, -dee, -dee, -dee, -dee,
And I have skedaddled, -dee, -dee.
6. Abe Lincoln rode his Burnside horse
Which started at the rebel's fire,
He threw the baboon heels over head,
And there he stuck tight in the mire, -ire, -ire,
And there he stuck tight in the mire.