John Williams

It was down near Brownsville, Texas, May of ’65
John Williams thought that he might just escape this war alive
They heard General Lee’d surrendered up north a month ago
But they couldn’t lay their guns down til the Colonel told ‘em so.

That was Union Colonel Barrett and he had other plans
To hit the johnnies one more time down by the Rio Grande
He sent the 34th Indiana boys in their coats of blue
With John Williams there among ‘em at the age of 22…
22…from Jay County, Indiana, at the age of 22

Now the rebel troopers at Fort Brown they surely was surprised
To see the Yankees coming as the sun begun to rise
They’d all agreed there’d be a truce til the call to go home came
Each side would stay right where they was if the other did the same.

So the federals won that first day and they took some prisoners back
And they rested near Palmetto Ranch for the second day’s attack
Meanwhile, there was old Rip Ford at the Confederate command
Sayin’ if them Yanks want trouble, well they surely found their man…
They found their man…yeah, .if them fed’rals still want trouble well they surely found their man.

‘Cause Old Rip had some cannon the blue coats didn’t know
He’d gotten from the Frenchies fightin’ down in Mexico
And he rolled ‘em in position right up near the ranch’s wall
To serve the Yanks their breakfast with some 8-pound cannon balls.

And the Yanks they soon was beaten, they dropped their guns and ran
And they all said they was lucky that they’d only lost one man
That was Private Johnny Williams out there starin’ at the sky
With the dead eyes of the last man in the civil war to die…
oh to die…the very last man in that dreadful bloody civil war to die.

Now you can say John Williams death it was an awful shame
But every war that’ll ever be is bound to end the same
A bullet flies, a young man dies, the final bugle blows
And who the last will ever be there ain’t nobody knows.

It was down near Brownsville, Texas, May of ‘65
John Williams thought that he might just escape this war alive…