Battle of Wilson Creek

Cat. #0132 (MFH #41) - As sung by Mr. Doney Hammontree, Farmington, Arkansas on June 21, 1958

VERSE 1
My name it is Joe Stiener
I came from Amsterdam
I am a full blood dutchman
From that there is no sham
I came up to this country
Because th land is free
And here I make much money
O, that's the place for me

VERSE 2
One day as I was drink'n
Mine glass of lager beer
And think'n of th freedom
Of this country here
They all cried out this union
This union mighty loud
Then makes us walk together
In a very big dutch crowd

VERSE 3
And then they say we've got to fight
This union for to save
Mine God, Mine Heaven'ly Father
What a country that we have
Th very first thing that we done
Was go with General Frost
Rob women and children along th rode
Thru the country that we cross't

VERSE 4
And when we came to Rolly
We make th rebels run
We make them get in every style
It was such glorious fun
And then we came to Springfield
And there we stopped and stayed
Until our General Lyon
Had got his plans well laid

VERSE 5
They say that General Price has got
Most of th rebel force
Camped away down on Wilsons Creek
And mighty well fixed, of course
And so we go down there
About a mile away
And then our baterries, they did crack
Our rifles they did play

VERSE 6
I'll tell you what I see there
I never shall forget
Seems th ground was all alive
With those seecesstioness
Their blamed old rifles shoot so true
I cannot tell you why
They strike us in our stomach
They hit us in our eye

VERSE 7
They killed our General Lyon
They makes our Seegar run
Some of 'em hid in the cottage
I'll tell you it was no fun
They killed our men, they took our guns
They knocked us in t fits
And many a prisoner too, they took
But I gets up and gets

VERSE 8
And now I am in Springfield
My legs are almost broke
And for th want of lager beer
I am so nearly choked
This blamed old rebel country
Will never do for me
I, vamish, run, I gets away
For th city of Saint Louie

VERSE 9
And if I live to get there
May I be roasted done
If ever I shoot at a rebel again
For money, love or fun
I sets myself down by my frau
I heard my children cry
And this will be my dutch cry
I bid you all good-bye

Variants