Rebel’s Goodbye

Oh the lilies were laid on the marble in the field where the ancestors lay
And the forest was dark and primeval but the boughs seemed to cradle as they swayed
And the church choir sang hallelujah, and the vernal breeze whispered a sigh
Watch the brethren all stand, praise their God, raise your hand
Tow the bell for the Rebel's goodbye

When the boots hit the dirt in formation the mood was determined and bright
And a young, hopeful boy at the station watched the train carry troops to the fight
But the generals died by assassins, the battalions dispersed on the fly
And they paid for their sins with the blood of their kin
Tow the bell for the Rebel's goodbye

In the dark heathen barracks of failure where the tormenters wait for the night
And the sheltering sky hears their lost, tattered cries
Tow the bell for the Rebel's goodbye