Who was "Old P*ss?"

[Cody C. Engdahl]

Here's me playing it if that's of any help:

I'm an old-time fiddler. I play a lot of fiddle tunes that date back to the Civil War and earlier. One of my favorite tunes is called "Old ****." (The blocked out word is slang for urine) It's a rather pretty tune despite its crude name. The story I've heard associated with it is that it was the marching tune for a Pennsylvanian Regiment. They affectionately called their commander "Old **** and Vinegar." The tune was renamed after him from it's original name "A Few Days."

I can't find any record of this. Does anyone know more?

 

[Waterloo50]

I'm an old-time fiddler. I play a lot of fiddle tunes that date back to the Civil War and earlier. One of my favorite tunes is called "Old ****." (The blocked out word is slang for urine) It's a rather pretty tune despite its crude name. The story I've heard associated with it is that it was the marching tune for a Pennsylvanian Regiment. They affectionately called their commander "Old **** and Vinegar." The tune was renamed after him from it's original name "A Few Days."

I can't find any record of this. Does anyone know more?

Here's me playing it if that's of any help:

I know a good piece of music when I hear it, you sir have tremendous talent.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

It's quite wonderful, thanks so much for sharing!

And rats, thought I'd check era newspapers- despite the unprintable word you can find a lot of stories from various regiments. Nothing, sorry! Hathitrust has endless regimental histories, again nothing although search is tough because you can't use the **** word. Cookbooks, no regimental stories.

Have quite a few excellent historians well entrenched in PA's Civil War. Hopefully one will see the thread, maybe have something.

 

[Rebforever]

Good sounding fiddle. Played by an excellent musician.

 

[Cody C. Engdahl]

I know a good piece of music when I hear it, you sir have tremendous talent.

Wow, thank you!

 

[Cody C. Engdahl]

It's quite wonderful, thanks so much for sharing!

And rats, thought I'd check era newspapers- despite the unprintable word you can find a lot of stories from various regiments. Nothing, sorry! Hathitrust has endless regimental histories, again nothing although search is tough because you can't use the **** word. Cookbooks, no regimental stories.

Have quite a few excellent historians well entrenched in PA's Civil War. Hopefully one will see the thread, maybe have something.

Hey, thanks for trying!

 

[Cody C. Engdahl]

Good sounding fiddle. Played by an excellent musician.

Thank you so much!

 

[zburkett]

Can't help with your question but thanks for the tune.

 

[captaindrew]

Can't help with the answer but enjoyed the tune, thanks for sharing your talents, feel free to post some more of those.

 

[Ole Miss]

What a beautiful playing of a fiddle by a real musician!
Regards
David

 

[Cody C. Engdahl]

What a beautiful playing of a fiddle by a real musician!
Regards
David

Wow, thanks!

 

[Cody C. Engdahl]

Can't help with the answer but enjoyed the tune, thanks for sharing your talents, feel free to post some more of those.

Thank you! I'm looking to put together a little program of Civil War tunes with my band soon.

 

[Pollaco]

Sorry i cant be of any help but I did enjoy your fiddle playing. I thought your name looked familiar so I looked it up. What is a Whiskey Connosisseur?

 

[Belle Montgomery]

Here's me playing it if that's of any help:

I'm an old-time fiddler. I play a lot of fiddle tunes that date back to the Civil War and earlier. One of my favorite tunes is called "Old ****." (The blocked out word is slang for urine) It's a rather pretty tune despite its crude name. The story I've heard associated with it is that it was the marching tune for a Pennsylvanian Regiment. They affectionately called their commander "Old **** and Vinegar." The tune was renamed after him from it's original name "A Few Days."

I can't find any record of this. Does anyone know more?

WOW! You are amazing! I could listen to you play CW fiddle tunes all day! Do you have an album? It would be nice to have your sedative fiddle music to listen to instead of always having fast tunes and "vocals" mixed in like in the other albums.

 

[Cody C. Engdahl]

WOW! You are amazing! I could listen to you play CW fiddle tunes all day! Do you have an album? It would be nice to have your sedative fiddle music to listen to instead of always having fast tunes and "vocals" mixed in like in the other albums.

Thank you! I might put one together some day. If I do I'll certainly show it here on the forum.

 

[Cody C. Engdahl]

Sorry i cant be of any help but I did enjoy your fiddle playing. I thought your name looked familiar so I looked it up. What is a Whiskey Connosisseur?

It's a fancy way of saying I drink a lot of whiskey.

 

[Pollaco]

Thats kind of what I thought. The "fancy way" sounds better.

 

[byron ed]

It may be a slow iteration of an old Minstrel-era tune "Old Joe," from Briggs Banjo Instructor 1885, here played at tempo:

 

[JPChurch]

Great fiddle playing Cody!!! Some of Stephen Foster's parlor tunes included a fiddle as part of the instrumentation. The Country Gentlemen released an LP years ago, I think it was in the 80's, that had "The Legend of the Rebel Soldier" on it. There was a bluegrass band here years ago called "The Seldom Scene." I think Vassar Clements played fiddle for them. Or maybe it was the other way around. I'm sure you have a lot of fun being in Nashville. I've always been a fan of the fiddle. I think the Mandrell sisters were pretty good at the fiddle and the Carter sisters were too.

 

[Mrs. V]

@Western Reserve Volunteer do you know this tune?