# rally round the flag, boys a line from the song "The Battle Cry of Freedom" by George Frederick Root (1820-1895), an American composer who is best remembered for his patriotic songs. It was sung to build enthusiasm for the North (the northern area of the United States, which fought to preserve the Union) during the American Civil War (18611865) and contains the following lines: "Yes, we'll rally round the flag, boys, we'll rally once again, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom, We will rally from the hillside, we'll gather from the plain, Shouting the battle cry of Freedom." See also "Dixe" in this glossary