'hoist the flag'

THE NEGRO IN THE AMERICAN REBELLION, “Fifty-Fourth Massachusetts Regiment,” by William Wells Brown (1867), pp.157-158: The following song was written by a private in Company A, Fifty-Fourth (colored) Regiment, Massachusetts Volunteers, and has been sent to us for publication by a friend of the regiment-- Boston Transcript “Air—'Hoist up the Flag' Fremont told them, when the war it first begun, How to save the Union, and the way it should be done, But Kentucky swore so hard, and Old Abe hid his fears, Till every hope was lost but the colored volunteers Chorus-- Oh! Give us a flag all free without a slave, We'll fight to defend it as our fathers did so brave The gallant Comp'ny A will make the rebels dance And we'll stand by the Union if only we had a chance. McClellan went to Richmond with two hundred thousand brave He said 'Keep back the niggers' and the Union he would save Little Mac he had his way, still the Union is in tears Now they call for the help of the colored volunteers. Chorus-- Oh! Give us a flag all free without a slave, Old Jeff says he'll hang us if we dare to meet him armed A very big thing, but we are not at all alarmed, For he first has got to catch us before the way is clear And that's what the matter with the colored volunteer Chorus-- Oh! Give us a flag all free without a slave, So rally, boys, rally, let us never mind the past We had a hard road to travel, but our day is coming fast, For God is for the right and we have no need to fear The Union must be saved by the colored volunteer. Chorus-- Oh! Give us a flag all free without a slave...”