Chamber Lye Gershon Legman states in his Horn Book, p. 378, and the later second volume of the Randolph "Unprintable" collection, Blow the Candles Out, pp. 659-662, that this song was originally published during the Civil War. It was subsequently reprinted as a broadside, and introduced with a explanation attributing the ballad to "a local wit" of the vicinity of Salem, Alabama. [ A ] "During the latter part of the Civil War, the Confederacy was short of salt petre, one of the most necessary ingredients of gunpowder. The following advertisement in the Salem, Alabama Sentinel shows an original method of obtaining a supply: "The ladies of Salem are respectfully requested to preserve their chamber lye, as it is very needful in the cause of the Confederacy in the manufacture of nitre, a necessary ingredient of gunpowder. Wagons with barrels will be sent to residences daily to collect and remove the same. "(signed) John Harrolson "Agt. Ordnance & Minging Bureau "C.S.A." "The scheme was so novel that a local wit perpetrated the following: "John Harrolson, John Harrolson, you are a funny creature, You've given to this cruel war, a new and curious feature. You'd have us think, while every man is bound to be a fighter, The women, bless their pretty dears, should save their pee for nitre. "John Harrolson, John Harrolson, where did you get the notion To send the barrels around the town to gather up the lotion? We thought the women's duty done in keeping house and diddling, But now you'd set the pretty dears to patriotic piddling. "John Harrolson, John Harrolson, do, pray, invent a neater And somewhat less immodest way of making your saltpetre. The things's so very queer, you know, gunpowder-like and cranky, That when a lady jerks her brine she shoots a bloody Yankee. "A copy of this found its way through the lines and a Vermont corporal wrote the following which was sent back to the Rebel camp: "John Harrolson, John Harrolson, we read in song and story, How women's tears in all these years have sprinkled fields of glory, But ne'er before did women help their race in deeds of slaughter, 'Till Southern beauties dried their tears and went to making water. "No wonder, John, your boys are brave. Who wouldn't be a fighter? If every time he shot his gun, he used his sweetheart's nitre? And, vice versa, what could make a Yankee soldier sadder, Than dodging bullets fired from a pretty woman's bladder? "We've heard it said a subtle smell still lingered in the powder, And as the smoke grew thick and the din of battle louder, That there was found in this compound a serious objection: The soldiers could not sniff it without causing an erection. "'Tis clear now why desertion is so common from your ranks: An Arctic nature's needed to withstand Dame Venus' pranks. A Southerner can't stand the press -- when once he's had a smell. He's got to have a piece or bust -- the peace can go to hell. This "A" text, only the second recovery published, was contributed to the Canfield Collection in 1926-1927 by an unidentified informant. It is close to the text in Randolph II. [ B ] A broadside in the Gordon Inferno of the Library of Congress' folksong archive, No, 3916, "An Incident of the Late War," updates the song to the Spanish-American War. The broadside begins with a headnote -- including the curious use of the English pound sterling sign: "The latest accounts to hand state that the value of the ammunition used by Admiral Dewey at the bombardment of Manila was only œ9,400 and by the Atlantic fleet at Santiago about œ20,000. At Manila 5,681 projectiles are now said to have been fired and at Santiago 7,581 shells. "During the latter period of the Spanish-American War, the supply of ammunition in the Spanish Camp was so short that a member of their Ordnance Department devised a scheme for providing the necessary ingredient, Saltpetre, and as an experiment inserted the following advertisement in a Manila Newspaper:-- "'The ladies of Manila are respectfully requested to preserve their Chamber Lye as it is very needful to the cause of Spain in the manufacture of nitre, a necessary ingredient of gunpowder. Wagons with barrels will be sent to residences daily to collect and remove the same.' "(Sgd.) 'Don Camara'" Don Camara, Don Camara, you are a funny creature; You've given to this cruel war a new and curious feature. You'd have us think, while every man is bound to be a fighter, The women (bless the pretty dears) should save their P for nitre. Don Camara, Don Camara, where did you get the notion To send your barrels round the town to gather up the lotion? We though the woman's duty done in keeping house and diddling, But now you'd put the pretty dears to patriotic piddling. Don Carama, Don Camara, do pray invent a neater And somewhat less immodest way of making your Saltpetre. The thing's so very queer, you know, gunpowder-like and cranky That when a lady "jerks her brine," she shoots a bloody Yankee. "One copy of the above was sent home to New York where a wag saw it and sent the following reply: Don Camara, Don Camara, we've read your song and story. How women's tears in all these years have sprinkled fields of glory; But ne'er before did women help their braves in deeds of slaughter Till Spanish beauties dried their tears and went to making water. No wonder, Don, your boys are brave,-- who would not be a fighter, If every time he shot a gun he used his sweetheart's nitre? And vice versa, what would make a Yankee soldier sadder Than dodging bullets fired from a pretty woman's bladder? We've heard it said a subtle smell still lingered in this powder And as the smoke grew thicker and the din of battle louder That there was found in this compound a serious objection,-- The soldiers could not sniff it without getting an erection. 'Tis clear now why desertion is common in our ranks; An Arctic nature's needed to withstand Dame Nature's pranks. A Yankee boy can't stand the press when once he's had a smell; He's got to have a "bit" or bust, -- the cause can go to Hell. Manila, P.I.; July 4th, 1899 [ C ] Finally, John Harrolson, aka Don Camara, becomes Von Hindenberg, and the satirical song is adapted to the first world war. Von Hindenburg, Von Hindenburg, You are a funny creature. You've given the cruel war A new and funny feature. You'd have us think while every man Is bound to be a fighter, The women, bless their hearts, Should save their pee for nitre.®PG¯ Von Hindenburg, Von Hindenburg, Where did you get the notion Of sending barrels 'round the town To gather up the lotion? We thought a woman's duty was Keeping house and diddling, But now you've put the little dears To patriotic piddling. Von Hindenburg, Von Hindenburg, Pray do invent a neater And somewhat less immodest way Of making your saltpetre. For fraulein fair of golden hair With whom we all are smitten Must join the line and jerk her brine To kill the bloomin' Briton. Von Hindenburg, Von Hindenburg, We read in song and story How many tears in all the years Have sprinkled fields of glory. But ne'er before have women helped Their braves in bloody slaughter, 'Til German beauties dried their tears And went to making water. Non wonder, Von, your boys are brave Who wouldn't be a fighter, If every time he shot his gun He used his sweetheart's nitre? And vice versa, what would make An Allied soldier sadder, Than dodging bullets fired from A pretty woman's bladder? We've heard it said a subtle smell Still lingers in the powder. The battle-smoke grows thicker now And the din of battle louder. That there is found to this compound A serious objection. A soldier cannot take a whiff Without having an erection. And it is clear now why desertion Is so common in your ranks. An Arctic nature's baddly needed To stand Dame Nature's pranks. A German connot stand the strain When once he's had a smell. He's got to have a piece or bust The Fatherland to hell." As noted in the first edition, the version may ultimately derive from Immortalia. (It is included in the 1927 edition, pp. 101-02, and the 1968 reprint, p. 114-15.) The text was forwarded to the editor by Dale Koby, who was later to edit the 1968 reprint of Immortalia. Koby apparently "recreated" the song from print by adding its original melody, "Maryland, My Maryland" or "Oh Tannenbaum."