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During the war the Compiler of this little volume published a small pamphlet of Southern War Songs under the title of Allan's Lone Star Ballads, No. 1, also a number in sheets, with the promise that some day he would issue them, with many never before in print, in a more durable form, for preservation. Until now he has been prevented from making good this promise, through heavy losses, the legitimate result of the war, and which was followed by the wanton burning of all his property by Major G. W. Smith and the Federal Soldiers under his command, at the city of Brenham, in Texas, on the night of the seventh of September, 1866, long after the war was supposed to be over, and from the effects of which he has never recovered. Many of the songs in hand at that time were also destroyed, and for the past eight years he has been engaged in re-gathering them, with many that he did not have before. For these he has to return his heartfelt thanks to many kind friends, some of them personally unknown to him. To one and all who have assisted him in this work, he desires to express his gratitude.And now, at last, he has the pleasure of offering his little book to the kind regards of all who may think worthy of consideration and preservation the songs so often sung around the camp-fires by companions-in-arms who have fought their last battle and passed over the river from their sight forever.The Compiler has been desirous of making the work as complete and comprehensive as possible. Adhering to his original desire of issuing in a pamphlet form the genuine Songs of the People, the present volume will be found to consist, in a great part, of Original Patriotic Songs evidently the offspring of the stirring events by which their writers were surrounded, and many of which are printed now for the first time.
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