And de possum up de gum-tree he couldn’t keep it still.
Father Abraham has spoken, and de message has been sent;
Do prison-doors he opened, and out de prisoners went
To joinde sable army of de ‘African descent.’
Dey said, ‘Now colored bredren, you shall be forever free,
From the first of January, eighteen hundred and sixty-three:’
We heard it in do riber goin’ rushin’ to dc sea.
Den fall in, colored bredren, you’d better do it soon;
Don’t you hear de drum a-beatin’ de Yankee Doodle tune?
We are wid you now dis mornin’; we’ll lie far away at noon.”