Washington Artillery 5th Co. "Slocomb's Battery"

  Try Us !

Our maiden banner courts the wind;
Its stars are beamin' over us.
Each radiant fold now unconfined
Is floating here before us.
It bears a motto proud and high
To those who dare defy us.
And loud shall peal our slogan cry
Whene'er they come to "TRY US!"

The hallowed ray that freedom gave us
To cheer the gloom that bound us,
And shone in beauty over the brave
Still brightly beams around us.
The day our fathers bravely won
Shall long be greeted by us,
And loudly through our ranks shall peal
The gallant war cry "TRY US!"

  SONG OF THE FIFTH  

^{The cannoneers are slumbering on the hillside,
The eastern sky is bright with dawning day;
When, springing gaily from his clover pillow,
The bugler sounds the stirring reveille.
Awake! Awake! The God of day is rising,
The trembling dewdrops sparkle in each ray;
The distant picket's rifle gives a warning,
The "Fifth" must strike for liberty today!}

^{Chorus
Hurrah! Hurrah! We struggle for the right,
From hill to hill resounding, the battle cry is sounding.
Hurrah! Hurrah! We're ready for the fight!
A grave or victory!}

^{Now when the deadly struggle rages wildest,
Where shell and shrapnel burst amid the roar,
Our good "Napoleons" bellow forth in anger
And drop the fierce invaders by the score.
Again! Again! For God and Louisiana,
Ram home the charge with energy of hate,
Now give them our swift canister for Mumford,
And - every gun - for Order Twenty-Eight!}

^{Dear Louisiana! By thy waters weeping,
Insulted women watch with tearful eyes;
From ruined homes and desecrated altars,
A cry for vengeance gathers to the sky.
On every field our gallant boys are sleeping,
Their blood hath flown our liberties to save;
And, drop for drop, we'll force it from the foeman 
Or dying, sweetly sleep in Freedom's grave!}

^{Penned by C.E. McCarty on July 15th, 1864 in Atlanta, Georgia, the title of the song is indeed SONG OF THE FIFTH and is subtitled "Written for the 5th Company - Washington Artillery". The song may be sung to the melody of CHEER, BOYS, CHEER!}

^{The references to "Mumford" and "Order Twenty-Eight" are references to the actions of Federal General Benjamin Butler. Federal Ddmiral Farragut and his Marines raised the Federal flag over the New Orleans branch of the United States Mint, taking possession of the city of New Orleans. Five days later, General Benjamin Butler marched into New Orleans to rule the city under martial law. Butler would rule the city for the next eight months.}

^{Many citizens of lower Louisiana openly displayed their contempt for the Federal troops, the Federal occupation of their land, and Butler himself. Their resentment stemmed not only from the fact that a foreign invader had taken over their native land, but to Butler's orders regarding treating the Federal flag with respect; his orders requiring the citizenry to show courtesy and deference to Federal troops; and his prohibition of their even singing songs deemed "treasonable" by the Federals.}

^{William Mumford, a New Orleanian, showed his contempt for the Federal occupation troops by entering the New Orleans branch of the United States Mint and lowering the Federal flag. For that offense, Butler had Mumford hanged.}

^{As a result of the contempt with which Federal officers and sodiers were treated by the ladies of New Orleans in particular, Benjamin Butler was to issue "Order Twenty-Eight", an order that earned him the nickname "Beast" Butler from P.G.T. Beauregard, and soon all other Southrons. The order read as follows:}

^{As the officers and soldiers of the United States have been subject to repeated insult from the women (calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans, in return for the most scrupulous non-interference and courtesy on our part, it is ordered that hereafter when any female shall, by word, gesture, or movement, insult or show contempt for any officer or soldier of the United States, she shall be regarded and held liable to be treated as a woman of the town plying her avocation.}

^{In other words, the ladies of New Orleans who failed to treat the Federal officers or soldiers as gentleman would find that, not only was their good name as "ladies" forfeit, but they were to be treated as common prostitutes, subject to the indignities of public insult and arrest.}

    This Polka Was Written For The W.A.

The Cannoneer

D                              G                D              G            D
We will sing of the boys who make the loudest noise,
                                                               A
And from fighting you can scarcely restrain them. Aha!
                  D                     D/C                        D/B#                 D/A
They have "guns", "howitzers", "rifles" and other sorts of trifles,
              D                            A                          D
To send soldiers past the "Happy Land of Canaan".

Chorus:
D                 G
Oh! ho ho! Ah, ha! ha!
       D                                      A
The good times, boys, are a-coming;
       D                        D/C                        D/B#              D/A
Oh, never mind the weather, but get over double trouble
                      D                       A                         D
When you're bound for the "Happy Land of Canaan".

We will sing of Number One - he comes first upon the gun,
And works like a horse without complaining. Aha!
He will let you know that he is not too slow
In sending soldiers past the "Happy Land of Canaan".

Next comes Number Two.  He has as much as he can do
To make the enemy think 'tis iron raining. Aha!
He will let you know that he is not too slow
At sending soldiers past the "Happy Land of Canaan".

Then comes Number Three, who, brisk as he can be,
His thumb upon the vent he's retaining. Aha!
He will let you know that he is not too slow
At sending soldiers to the "Happy Land of Canaan".

Next comes Number Four, who, to make the matter sure,
Pulls the lanyard with a steady sort of straining.  Aha!
And then, with loud report, King Death cries out "Come into court
If you're going to the 'Happy Land of Canaan'."

Next comes Number Five, who, to keep his game alive,
Proves his legs must have the right sort of training. Aha!
For, with cartridge in his pouch, you can see he's no slouch
At sending soldiers past the "Happy Land of Canaan".

Then comes Number Six, who works hard his little tricks
For fear the others he'll be detaining.  Aha!
And he knows - to help the fight - he must cut the fuses right
So as to send them to the "Happy Land of Canaan".

Next comes Number Seven, to whom important place is given;
Like Five, his legs must have the right sort of training.  Aha!
For both of them must run 'tween the limber and the gun
If they're going to the "Happy Land of Canaan".

And here's to Number Eight, who with patience has to wait,
Though in this he's slightly given to complaining.  Aha!
So he helps our Number Six, with all his little tricks
At sending soldiers past the "Happy Land of Canaan".

Now it never would be right if the Corporal we should slight,
For he's the bully boy that does the aiming.  Aha!
With his screw and his trail, we hope he'll never fail
At sending soldiers past the "Happy Land of Canaan".

But what are we about?  We have left the Sergeant out;
No doubt of this slight he'll be complaining.  Aha!
But he's a sort of Boss, you know, and we keep him more for show
Than sending soldiers to the "Happy Land of Canaan".