Today we’re highlighting a post-Civil War song which our friend Loyalty of Dogs brought to our attention. Who knew there was a song about a Civil War cat? I don’t know if “The Ballad of Poor Kitty Popcorn” is based on a real cat, but some soldiers had cats as mascots—of course, not nearly as many as had dogs.
Written in 1866, “The Ballad of Poor Kitty Popcorn” tells the tale of a cat who follows her flag and joins the army. She meets a soldier whom she bonds with, riding on his shoulder “when her feet were sore” and “Whisp’ring in his ear with wonder at the cannon’s roar, Me-yow!” They both survive the war, but alas, her soldier dies shortly thereafter, and she pines away on his grave, dying in a snowstorm.
I’m not sure that our museum cat, Kitty, would follow us off to war, but at least she would miss us. However, our cat Strider might have tagged along. He followed me all the way down the street once, despite being a little apprehensive once we ventured outside of his familiar territory.
If you have a cat who would follow you on an adventure or who misses you when you’re away, give him or her a few extra cat treats today. If you’re musically inclined, you can find the sheet music on the Library of Congress website and sing the ballad to your cat. Maybe they will join in on each “Me-yow!” Alas, I think I had better not try it myself, or Kitty might disown me for disturbing her peaceful slumber!