[Army Life in a Black Regiment by Thomas Wentworth Higginson]@TWC D-Link bookArmy Life in a Black Regiment CHAPTER 9 8/23
THE COMING DAY "I want to go to Canaan, I want to go to Canaan, I want to go to Canaan, To meet 'em at de comin' day. O, remember, let me go to Canaan, _( Thrice.)_ To meet "em, &c. O brudder, let me go to Canaan, _( Thrice.)_ To meet 'em, &c. My brudder, you--oh!--remember, _( Thrice.)_ To meet 'em at de comin' day." The following begins with a startling affirmation, yet the last line quite outdoes the first.
This, too, was a capital boat-song. X.ONE MORE RIVER. "O, Jordan bank was a great old bank, Dere ain't but one more river to cross. We have some valiant soldier here, Dere ain't, &c. O, Jordan stream will never run dry, Dere ain't, &c. Dere's a hill on my leff, and he catch on my right, Dere ain't but one more river to cross." I could get no explanation of this last riddle, except, "Dat mean, if you go on de leff, go to 'struction, and if you go on de right, go to God, for sure." In others, more of spiritual conflict is implied, as in this next XI.
O THE DYING LAMB! "I wants to go where Moses trod, O de dying Lamb! For Moses gone to de promised land, O de dying Lamb! To drink from springs dat never run dry, O, &c. Cry O my Lord! O, &c. Before I'll stay in hell one day, O, &c. I'm in hopes to pray my sins away, O, &c. Cry O my Lord! 0,&c. Brudder Moses promised for be dar too, O, &c. To drink from streams dat never run dry, O de dying Lamb!" In the next, the conflict is at its height, and the lurid imagery of the Apocalypse is brought to bear.
This book, with the books of Moses, constituted their Bible; all that lay between, even the narratives of the life of Jesus, they hardly cared to read or to hear. XII.
DOWN IN THE VALLEY. "We'll run and never tire, We'll run and never tire, We'll run and never tire, Jesus set poor sinners free. Way down in de valley, Who will rise and go with me? You've heern talk of Jesus, Who set poor sinners free. "De lightnin' and de flashin' De lightnin' and de flashin', De lightnin' and de flashin', Jesus set poor shiners free. I can't stand the fire.
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