To Quote :: "Are You on Facebook?"

My good DAR friend M treated me to a Civil War reenactment in central Illinois this weekend. It was interesting to experience a Civil War anything above the Mason-Dixon line -- it was weird. I'm so used to everything being so pro-South. It's the same feeling that I had the first time I heard the words of the third and fourth stanzas come out of my mouth while singing "Illinois" (the State song, lyrics below, see the bold passages) at a DAR function. But we're all together now, right? Yes.

Well now, here the Yankees are advancing -- check out that standard!



And a quick shout-out to my NC rebel boys --



In the end, the Union won this battle. But we are in Illinois, after all! Everyone loves an at-home win.



After the battle, we walked around the grounds and came upon President Lincoln and Mary Todd Lincoln. As we passed them, we overheard Honest Abe ask, "Are you on Facebook?"

Lordy!


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Illinois
Written by C.H. Chamberlain
Composed by Archibald Johnston

By thy rivers gently flowing, Illinois, Illinois,
O'er thy prairies verdant growing, Illinois, Illinois,
Comes an echo on the breeze.
Rustling through the leafy trees, and its mellow tones are these, Illinois, Illinois,
And its mellow tones are these, Illinois.

From a wilderness of prairies, Illinois, Illinois,
Straight thy way and never varies, Illinois, Illinois,
Till upon the inland sea,
Stands thy great commercial tree, turning all the world to thee, Illinois, Illinois,
Turning all the world to thee, Illinois.

When you heard your country calling, Illinois, Illinois,
Where the shot and shell were falling, Illinois, Illinois,
When the Southern host withdrew,
Pitting Gray against the Blue, There were none more brave than you, Illinois, Illinois,
There were none more brave than you, Illinois.

Not without thy wondrous story, Illinois, Illinois,
Can be writ the nation's glory, Illinois, Illinois,
On the record of thy years,
Abraham Lincoln's name appears, Grant and Logan, and our tears, Illinois, Illinois,
Grant and Logan, and our tears, Illinois.

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