Written, Recorded and Performed by Jeff Stachyra with Bob Damiano / Backing Vocals, Rick Iacovelli / Bass and Carol Simek / Violin
A confession from a known Southern operative and boat burner creates controversy.
Burned Down the Wheel
His alias Charlie Deal
Says he burned down the wheel
That April in ‘65
Though this were not his first
But by all means his worst
His cunning and bravery kept him alive
He was a Grey boat-burner
And a blockade-runner
He was that mail carrying kind
He had been sentenced to death
By the “Old Commiss.”
But he had other things on his mind
They said the fires could be scene from Memphis
And the flame lit the sky that night
All though the war was to be over
There was one last battle to fight
He made a great escape
While waiting on his fate
To be granted from Lincoln for sure
So the tale read
As William Streetor said
He went south til the close of the war
He fired a dozen or less
That’s what he guessed
He remarked in an off hand way
It was a ticklish job
All the life that he’d rob
To set the boat a blaze and get away
