OLE Fo'th ob July Am mighty close by, Kase I done smell powdah in de ahr; An' de beatin' ob de drums When de regiment comes Sort o' 'minds me ob de times in de wah. I was chief ob a division Dat furnished de pervision, An' I done looked wid pride on mah troops; I haid em so well drilled Dat none ob dem got killed -- Ouah bizness was inspectin' chicken coops. I was shot froo de lip, An' wounded in de hip, En fractuah'd mo' er less about de haid; At de trouble 'roun' Fo't Pickens I was skirmagin' fo' chickens, When mah foot slipt an' I fell off de shaid. Gen'l Sherman gib us right To forage mos' de night, So dat's why I'se trompin' on dis paig. I was out abductin' salt, When somebody hollahed "halt!" An' de fool up an' shot me in de laig. Jais what I want ter mension Is, I want increase ob pension, An' I make mah affidavit fo' de judge Dat I was in comman' When a shell bust in mah hand, An' fo' fohty-seben days I couldn't budge. I'll stop, en hol' mah peace, Ef I get a good increase; I want mah pension bill increased to five; Foh mah lip, en hip, an' hand, En mah haid, yo' unde'stan', An' one jes' fo' comin' out alive. |