Civil War Music – Buffalo Gals

The song Buffalo Gals is a traditional American song that was popular during the Civil War. 

According to the Library of Congress, the song was originally called Lubly Fan Will You Cum Out To Night? and was written in 1844 by the blackface minstrel John Hodges, who performed as “Cool White.” The song was widely popular throughout the United States and due to its popularity, singers would often alter the lyrics to suit the local audience, so it was not uncommon to hear “New York Gals” or “Boston Gals.” However, the best-known version is from 1948 and is known as “Buffalo Gals” and is named after Buffalo, New York.

Here is one of my favorite musical groups, The 2nd South Carolina String Band singing Buffalo Gals during the 2017 Gettysburg Reenactment.  

PS:  Did you hear them mention “Gettysburg Gals”?

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