The Green Flag, By The Stars (1866)
When first Columbia proudly raised
Her thunder shout-- "I'm free !"
When revolution's war-fires blazed
From mountain's crag to sea :
Rushed Irishmen, from mount and glen--
Nor feared they death nor scars--
To plant in front of battle's brunt
The green flag, by the stars.
Chorus--The green flag, by the stars--
The green flag, by the stars :
In victory's light,
The sunburst bright--
The green flag, by the stars !
Those flags together in the past,
Flew in fight on land or wave :
They fluttered o'er Jack Barry's mast,
And o'er Montgomery's glaive ;
In every fight 'gainst England's might,
And naught their blending mars,
They're floating still, and ever will--
The green flag, by the stars.
And o'er the cactus shaded heights,
On Mexico's red. fields,
O'er hero Scott, in fiercest fights,
O'er Sweeny, Meade and Shields,
'Long Taylors van, and Jackson's ran
The stout cry, "Naught debars
To plant on high, in vict'ry's sky,
The green flag, by the stars !"
And when rebellion, rampant, stood
With brave but traitor mien,
And sought to dye, with brother's blood,
Columbia's valleys green !
They raised again--those Irishmen--
Native-born sons of Mars,
In freedom's fight for truth and right,
The green flag by the stars !
And 'neath those flags their heart's blood pour'd
In many a crimson wave,
'Neath dauntless "Meagher of the Sword !"
And Corcoran staunch and brave :
On battle's sod, where'er they trod,
They lowered the traitor's "bars,"
And proud saw wave, o'er tent and grave,
The green flag, by the stars !
The traitors' and the British rag
Were flaunted side by side ;
Spoke fiend joy, in boast and brag,
When 'gainst us rolled the tide
Of battle's sea--but still we see,
Above rebellion's bars,
In triumph wild, floats undefiled,
The green flag, by the stars.
Of "comrades," " mess" and " tent-mates" brave,
Who've fought with us for years,
In conflict fierce, on land or wave,
Ah, we have little fears !
Each comrade's blade will us yet aid,
DESPITE ALL NEUTRAL BARS,
To plant, I ween, in " victory's sheen,
The green flag, by the stars !"
Of their " Great Land" we fought each foe,
For freedom, right, and God !,
For ends like these they'll strike a blow
For dear old Ireland's sod !
A Yankee hand will yet on land,
On sea will Yankee tars
Yet nobly raise, in battle's blaze,
The green flag, by the stars !
The green flag, by the stars--
The green flag, by the stars;
In victory's light,
The; sunburst bright--
The green flag, by the stars !
--Boston Pilot.
Notes
From the NSW newspaper the Freeman's Journal Saturday 1 December 1866.