Join the Cavalry 4908858 224863217 2008-07-10T19:18:33Z Cydebot 1215485 Robot - Moving category American Civil War songs to Songs of the American Civil War per [[WP:CFD|CFD]] at [[Wikipedia:Categories for discussion/Log/2008 June 29]]. '''Join the Cavalry''' was a military [[song]] popular during the [[American Civil War]]. The verses detail various feats performed by [[Jeb Stuart]]'s troopers, the [[cavalry]] arm of the [[Army of Northern Virginia]], while the chorus urges the listener to "join the cavalry". Occasionally, the title is recorded as "Jine the Cavalry". The song was most common in Virginia. "Jine the Cavalry!" was among Stuart’s favorite songs, and became the unofficial theme song of his Confederate cavalry corps. It recounts many of Stuart’s early exploits, including the daring "Ride around the Army of the Potomac" in the early summer of 1862, and the [[Gettysburg Campaign|invasion of Pennsylvania]] in June and July 1863. One of Stuart’s men, Sam Sweeney, was an accomplished [[banjo]] player and often serenaded Stuart and his officers during the Gettysburg Campaign. '''JINE THE CAVALRY!''' ''CHORUS: <br /> If you want to have a good time, jine the cavalry!<br /> Jine the cavalry! Jine the cavalry!<br /> If you want to catch the Devil, if you want to have fun,<br /> If you want to smell Hell, jine the cavalry!''<br /> We're the boys who went around [[George B. McClellan|McClellian]],<br /> Went around McClellian, went around McClellian!<br /> We're the boys who went around McClellian,<br /> Bully boys, hey! Bully boys, ho!<br /> ''CHORUS: <br /> If you want to have a good time, jine the cavalry!<br /> Jine the cavalry! Jine the cavalry!<br /> If you want to catch the Devil, if you want to have fun,<br /> If you want to smell Hell, jine the cavalry!''<br /> We're the boys who crossed the [[Potomac River|Potomicum]],<br /> Crossed the Potomicum, crossed the Potomicum!<br /> We're the boys who crossed the Potomicum,<br /> Bully boys, hey! Bully boys, ho!<br /> ''CHORUS: <br /> If you want to have a good time, jine the cavalry!<br /> Jine the cavalry! Jine the cavalry!<br /> If you want to catch the Devil, if you want to have fun,<br /> If you want to smell Hell, jine the cavalry!''<br /> Then we went into [[Pennsylvania]],<br /> Into Pennsylvania, into Pennsylvania!<br /> Then we went into Pennsylvania,<br /> Bully boys, hey! Bully boys, ho!<br /> ''CHORUS: <br /> If you want to have a good time, jine the cavalry!<br /> Jine the cavalry! Jine the cavalry!<br /> If you want to catch the Devil, if you want to have fun,<br /> If you want to smell Hell, jine the cavalry!''<br /> The big fat [[Pennsylvania Dutch|Dutch gals]] hand around the [[bread|breadium]],<br /> Hand around the breadium, hand around the breadium!<br /> The big fat Dutch gals hand around the breadium,<br /> Bully boys, hey! Bully boys, ho!<br /> ''CHORUS: <br /> If you want to have a good time, jine the cavalry!<br /> Jine the cavalry! Jine the cavalry!<br /> If you want to catch the Devil, if you want to have fun,<br /> If you want to smell Hell, jine the cavalry!''<br /> Ol' [[Joseph Hooker|Joe Hooker]], won't you come out of [[Battle of Chancellorsville|The Wilderness]]?<br /> Come out of The Wilderness, come out of The Wilderness?<br /> Ol' Joe Hooker, won't you come out of The Wilderness?<br /> Bully boys, hey! Bully boys, ho!<br /> ''CHORUS: <br /> If you want to have a good time, jine the cavalry!<br /> Jine the cavalry! Jine the cavalry!<br /> If you want to catch the Devil, if you want to have fun,<br /> If you want to smell Hell, jine the cavalry!''<br /> <br /> ''Lyrics are in the public domain.'' [http://www.civilwarhome.com/stuartsride.htm Stuart's ride around McClellan] [http://www.2ndvacavalrycoc.com 2nd Va. Cavalry] [[Category:Songs of the American Civil War]] [[Category:Virginia in the American Civil War]] ''See Also'' [http://www.thecavalry.com.au The Cavalry]