The Bonnie Blue Flag

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The Bonnie Blue Flag, also known as We Are a Band of Brothers, is an 1861 marching song associated with the Confederate States of America. The words were written by Ulster born Harry McCarthy, with the melody taken from The Irish Jaunting Car. The song's title refers to the unofficial first Flag of the Confederacy, the "Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star" of the chorus.

[edit] Lyrics controversy

The first verse of the song goes:

"We are a band of brothers and native to the soil,

Fighting for our liberty with treasure, blood and toil;

And when our rights were threatened, the cry rose near and far,

Hurrah! for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star.

The first line explains the song's alternate title. The second line is very often given as "fighting for the property we gained by honest toil". These are not the original lyrics, however, and the line has been explained as an attempt at historical revisionism for political purposes.

However, a copy of the 1861 Song Sheet posted on a website by Professor Steve Schoenherr of the University of San Diego seems to indicate that the opening verse was in fact:

We are a band of brothers, natives of the soil,

Fighting for our property we gained by honest toil;

But when our rights were threatened the cry rose near and far,

Hurrah for the Bonnie Blue Flag that bears a single star,

Whether this indicates support for slavery could be disputed, as it could also refer to other property rights.

According to Professor Schoenherr, the song sheet was first published in 1861 by a Mr. A.E. Blackmar and Brother in New Orleans. When Major General Benjamin Butler captured New Orleans, he allegedly arrested Mr. Blackmar, destroyed all copies of the music, and ordered that anyone caught whistling or singing The Bonnie Blue Flag would be fined $25 (about $482 in 2005). It should also be noted that 11 other editions of the song were published with different lyrics.

[edit] References

• A performance of the song in the 2003 film Gods and Generals, in a scene set in a Confederate camp which includes cameo appearances by Ted Turner and U.S. Senators George Felix Allen (R-Va) and Robert Byrd (D-WV).
• Lyrics and melody to the song, including a refutation of the alternate lyrics
• Photos of the cover and song sheet dated from 1861, as well as historical trivia regarding the song