Item Description: Poem, dated 7 June 1863, from the John S. Henderson Papers. The unidentified author assigns a trait or subject relating to the Confederacy to each letter of the alphabet.
Item citation: From folder 34 of the John S. Henderson Papers, the Southern Historical Collection, Wilson Library, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Item transcription:
A Southern Alphabet.
“Come Willie, and say our State Alphabet,
That A’s for the Army you’ll never forget,
Then B’s for our Banner – the flag of the free –
For Beauregard, Barton, Bethel, and Bee.
C’s for the Southern Confederacy brave –
Our bold little ship, all afloat on the wave!
And D is for Davis, Oh! wide as the sea,
Shall the fame of our glorious President be!
E’s for the Eighth, they were first in the fight,
F is for Freedom, the freedom of right.
G is for Georgia, the flower, the Queen!
H is for Hampton – his Legion, I mean.
I is for Infantry, sturdy, and strong.
J to the Johnsons, and Jacksons belong.
K’s for King Cotton, he sits on his throne,
The monarch of nations, in glory alone.
L is for Lincoln, – Ah! woe to his crown,
For Cotton, King Cotton is trampling him down,
M’s for Manasses – our glory – our pride!
N for our navy, the waters to ride.
O for the Oglethorpe’s – glorious name!
Oh, write it in gold on the pages of fame!
And stamp Carolina – the rebel – the worst,
With a P for Palmetto. Secession the first!
Then Q is so twisted, so twisted, and twirled,
That Q stands for the traitors, all over the world.
R for the Rebels, who nobly will stand!
S for the South, our own sunny Land!
And the Creoles, the Tigers are graven with T.
U’s for the Union, a wreck on the sea.
V is for Victory, bright as the sun.
W for Washington, sure to be won.
And X still a place in your letters must keep,
Oh, X is a cross for the heroes we weep.
Y for the Yankees, whose sun is now set.
And Z for the Zouaves, you’ll never forget.
And here is the end of our State Alphabet.
Cooleemee Hill. Sunday afternoon.
June 7th 1863.