 The writer of the song “Dixie” is Dan Emmett.  Dan wrote “Dixie’’ in 1859 on a five stringed banjo while working in Bryant’s Minstrels.

Dixie Lyrics   Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton, Old times there are not forgotten, (Alt Original: Cinnamon seed and sandy bottom,) Look away, look away, look away Dixie Land. In Dixie Land, where I was born in, early on one frosty mornin', Look away, look away, look away Dixie Land. I wish I was in Dixie, Hooray! Hooray! In Dixie Land I'll take my stand to live and die in Dixie. Away, away, away down south in Dixie. Away, away, away down south in Dixie

The song, Dixie’s, lyrics makes me feel that the men are marching and wishing that they are with their families. They are happy that slaves are working for them.

 Patrick Gilmore wrote the song when Jonny Comes Marching Home on September

When Jonny Comes Marching Home When Johnny comes marching home again, Hurrah! Hurrah! We'll give him a hearty welcome then Hurrah! Hurrah! The men will cheer and the boys will shout The ladies they will all turn out And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home. The old church bell will peal with joy Hurrah! Hurrah! To welcome home our darling boy, Hurrah! Hurrah! The village lads and lassies say With roses they will strew the way, And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home. Get ready for the Jubilee, Hurrah! Hurrah! We'll give the hero three times three, Hurrah! Hurrah! The laurel wreath is ready now To place upon his loyal brow And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home. Let love and friendship on that day, Hurrah, hurrah! Their choicest pleasures then display, Hurrah, hurrah! And let each one perform some part, To fill with joy the warrior's heart, And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home

 The song “When Jonny Comes Marching Home” makes me feel like the soldiers are celebrating a soldier coming back. The soldier is not home yet, but people are making plans for when he comes back home safely. Jonny is not a specific person Jonny represents every soldier.

 The song “Coming From the Cotton Fields was made in 1863 by anonymous. On Saturdays slaves would laugh and dance together. This may be one of the songs they sang.

We Coming From The Cotton Fields  We are coming from the cotton fields, We're coming from afar; We have left the plow, the hoe and ax And are going to the war; We have left old plantation seat, The sugar and the cane, Where we work'd and toil'd with weary feet. In sun and wind and rain. Then come along my boys, Oh! come, come along, Then come along my brothers, Oh come, come along. We are coming from the cotton fields. We're coming from a far, We have left the plow the hoe and ax, And we are going to war. We have digg'd our last pertater here In old Carliner State, And we'll leave these sandy diggins now For the true Confederate; We have left the frogs within the slough To sing alone and hop In the swamp lands and the meadows where We reap'd old Massa's crop. We will leave our chains behind us, boys, The prison, and the rack; And we'll hide beneath a soldier's coat. The scars upon upon our backs; And we'll teach the world a lesson soon. If taken by the hand, How the night shall come before tis noon, Upon old Pharoah's land. By the heavy chains that bound our hands Thro' centuries of wrong, We have learn'd the hard bought lesson well, How to suffer and be strong; And we only ask the power to show, What Freedom does for man; And we'll give sign to friend and foe, As none beside us can.

 The song “Coming From the Cotton Fields” was about the slaves celebrating being free. I know that they are free because the date the song was made is after the Emancipation Proclamation.

Comparisons  I think that all of the songs state hope.  In the song, Dixie the lines “I wish I was in Dixie, Hooray! Hooray! In Dixie Land I'll take my stand to live and die in Dixie” show hope for things to stay the same.  In the Union song, When Jonny Comes Marching Home, the lines, “ And we'll all feel gay when Johnny comes marching home”, show that people were expecting to be happy when the soldiers come home.  The slave song, “We Coming From the Cotton Fields”, shows hope for the future in the lines, “ By the heavy chains that bound our hands Thro' centuries of wrong, We have learn'd the hard bought lesson well, How to suffer and be strong; And we only ask the power to show, What Freedom does for man; And we'll give sign to friend and foe, As none beside us can”.

Contrast  The confederate songs were happy about no changes in their way of life which is stated in these sentences “Oh, I wish I was in the land of cotton, Old times there are not forgotten  In the Union and Slaves they wanted there to be changes in the confederacy. I found proof in these sentences. “We will leave our chains behind us, boys, The prison, and the rack; And we'll hide beneath a soldier's coat. The scars upon upon our backs; And we'll teach the world a lesson soon. If taken by the hand, How the night shall come before tis noon, Upon old Pharoah's land.” And

Bibliography   Freepages.music.rootsweb.ancestery.com  En.wikipedia.org  Nativeground.com  Youtube.com  Lyrics.com