Here's my transcription of the John Denver recording, which I like best of the three:
Civil War Trilogy
(Bob Gibson, as sung by John Denver)
Oh, hear the drums thunder
They sound such a wonder
A young soldier lad
Marches off with his gun
And his bangles and spangles
And bright golden buttons
Bright golden buttons
That shine in the sun
The cannon are screaming
Or is it my dreaming
Young men will stumble
And fall in the dust
And dreams turn to crying
And life turns to dying
And bright golden buttons
Have all turned to rust Boom bah bah boom bah bah boom
Twelve riders in the gloom
Seven show red and the rest are dead
But the First Battalion's home
Boom bah bah boom bah bah boom
You can hear the hoof beats boom
The drums are low and the pace is slow
But the First Battalion's home
Boom bah bah boom bah bah boom
And Richmond is their tomb
There's a hundred dead at Richmond
Three hundred more at Gettysburg
A hundred more they've never found
But the First Battalion's home There's a battle raging somewhere
And its thunder shakes the ground
Terrible silence, when it's over
Only death makes such a sound
And I see, oh, yes I see
On the last day of July
Oh, yes I see, oh, yes I see
On the last day of July
What's that moving in the shadows
What is this that's drawing nigh
It's the reaper, moving silent
Must be someone's turn to die
And I see, oh, yes I see
On the last day of July
Oh, yes I see, oh, yes I see
On the last day of July
I said I see, oh, yes I see
On the last day of July Two brothers on their way
Two brothers on their way
Two brothers on their way
One wore blue, one wore grey
One wore blue and one wore grey
As they marched along their way
The fife and drum began to play
All on a beautiful morning
One was gentle, one was kind
One was gentle, one was kind
One came home, one stayed behind
A cannon ball don't pay no mind
A cannon ball don't pay no mind
Though you're gentle or you're kind
It don't care for the folks behind
All on a beautiful morning
Two girls waiting by the railroad track
Two girls waiting by the railroad track
For their darlings to come back
One wore blue, one wore black
One wore blue and one wore black
Waiting by the railroad track
For their darlings to come back
All on a beautiful morning Boom bah bah boom bah bah boom
And Richmond is their tomb
There's a hundred dead at Richmond
Three hundred more at Gettysburg
A hundred more they've never found
A hundred more they've never found
But the First Battalion's home
Transcribed by ear from the 1969 John Denver concert recording
Anybody know where that MIDItext rendition of the tune is?
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sj