The Devil to Pay (July 1, 1863)

In July, eighteen sixty-three A nation torn in tragedy A trick of fate, two great armies merge Gods of war at Gettysburg Devastation lies ahead Fifty thousand bodies litter the land Hell rages three full days The Reaper sows And there's a Devil to pay The pressure's on and the rebs attack The yanks must hold, they can't fall back Just two brigades, two thousand strong Against twenty thousand They can't hold long General Reynolds makes his way Expect no mercy from the iron brigade Until he shows they're on their own But Buford's men have a will of stone Bayonets gleam in the morning sun Smoke and fire Belching from their guns Another volley and again they strike Thousands more coming Down Chambersburg Pike This tragedy and what it brings All the devastation The Reaper has his way Men will kill, blood will spill To preserve the nation There's the Devil to pay This tragedy and what it brings All the devastation The Reaper has his way Men will kill, blood will spill To preserve the nation There's the Devil to pay South of town Down the Emmitsburg Road The first corps are starting to show For Buford's men They're here just in time The desperate need To strengthen the line Bodies dropping, the blue and the grey Muskets fire and cannons blaze The Union fights, defending the town But they're outnumbered And losing ground From the north and the west More rebels arrive Thousands more and the fight multiplies McPherson Ridge And the black hats strike A rebel sharpshooter Takes Reynolds's life This tragedy and what it brings All the devastation The Reaper has his way Men will kill, blood will spill To preserve the nation There's the Devil to pay This tragedy and what it brings All the devastation The Reaper has his way Men will kill, blood will spill To preserve the nation There's the Devil to pay Attack, attack General Lee gives command They're overwhelmed The situation demands The federals retreat and Rush out of town But they are fortified and Saved the high ground Day ends in victory for the south Lee's as convinced As God's will is profound They are invincible And their cause is just But Longstreet is cautious And lacking in trust Across the way the Union digs in The round tops, Cemetery Ridge And out to Culp's Hill The lines are strong No denying they'll stay When the confederates strike There'll be the Devil to pay This tragedy and what it brings All the devastation The Reaper has his way Men will kill, blood will spill To preserve the nation There's the Devil to pay This tragedy and what it brings All the devastation The Reaper has his way Men will kill, blood will spill To preserve the nation There's the Devil to pay This tragedy and what it brings All the devastation The Reaper has his way Men will kill, blood will spill To preserve the nation There's the Devil to pay This tragedy and what it brings All the devastation The Reaper has his way Men will kill, blood will spill To preserve the nation There's the Devil to pay