"Boys the Old Flag Never Touched the Ground" is an American patriotic song that was sung at events about the Medal of Honorrecipient Sgt. William H. Carney of the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. The song was written by Bob Cole, James Weldon Johnson, and J. Rosamond Johnson and was sung in their Broadway musical "Shoo Fly Regiment." It was published in 1901. They dedicated the song to Carney.
It celebrates his actions during the Battle of Fort Wagner during the American Civil War. After Carney's death in 1908, Henry Mather and George E. Lothrop put his song to music and published it.
Lyrics[]
One night on Southern battlefields,
down where Fort Wagner lay,
A regiment of black men fought,
The Blue against the Gray.
As the sun sank slowly in the West
A thunderstorm and gale
Wept tears to see the brave black troops
Shot down by leaden hail.
A negro saw the old flag fall
And threw his gun away
To grasp the falling colors staff
And lead them to the fray.
Twas the Blue against the Gray, Boys,
And he said to all around
"I've only done my duty boys,
The old Flag never touch'd the ground."
"I've only done my duty, boys"
He said to all around,
"I've only done my duty boys,
The old Flag never touch'd the ground."
Around the dead and dying lay;
He reach'd the parapet,
The old flag never touched the ground,
As kneeling he held it yet.
The old flag did not bite the dust,
Where the bold black hero lay;
Two armies battled for the fort,
The Blue against the Gray
Amid the awful slaughter there,
he said to all around,
"I've only done my duty, boys,
It did not touch the ground.[1]