Eight hundred miles they ride--
Dauntless Battalion--
Down through the Southern Land
Mad with Rebellion.
Into our lines they dash--
Brave Cavaliers--
Greeting our flag with
A thunder of cheers.
THE OLD FLAG
[Written July 4, 1863.]
Have ye heard of Fort Donelson's desperate fight,
Where the giant Northwest bared his arm for the right,
Where thousands so bravely went down in the slaughter,
And the blood of the West ran as freely as water;
Where the Rebel Flag fell and our banner arose
O'er an army of captured and suppliant foes?
Lo--torn by the shot and begrimed by the powder,
The Old Flag is waving there prouder and prouder.
Heard ye of Shiloh, where fierce Beauregard
O'erwhelmed us with numbers and pressed us so hard,
Till our veteran supporters came up to our aid
And the tide of defeat and disaster was staid--
Where like grain-sheaves the slaughtered were piled on the plain
And the brave rebel Johnston went down with the slain?
Lo--torn by the shot and begrimed by the powder,
The Old Flag is waving there prouder and prouder.
Heard ye the cannon-roar down by Stone River?
Saw ye the bleeding braves stagger and quiver?
Heard ye the shout and the roar and the rattle?
And saw ye the desperate surging of battle?
Volley on volley and steel upon steel--
Breast unto breast--how they lunge and they reel!
Lo--torn by the shot and begrimed by the powder,
The Old Flag is waving there prouder and prouder.
Pages:
316
317
318
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340