Monday, August 21, 2006

Hurrah, Hurrah, for Southern Rights, Hurrah!

The Bonnie Blue Flag song from the rally in the movie Gods and Generals is over at youTube.com. Good, I always liked that scene. It was one of the liveliest in the movie.

Apparently Republican US Senate candidate George Allen makes an appearance, though I do not know which actor he is. His opponent James Webb, like most Southerners, has defended the Confederates. His book Born Fighting is a pean to the Scots-Irish, so I quite doubt he'll make an issue over a song so Scots as to use the word "Bonnie." But prepare for sound and fury in the commentariat.

Ever since I watched Ken Burns' documentary on the Civil War, I've always been a fan of the era's songcraft. The Second South Carolina String Band has an excellent version of "The Bonnie Blue Flag" on its album "Hard Road" They also sing a Union rally song "The Battle Cry of Freedom."

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