The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1864-07-12
The Blue, Coat.

The following ballad is from the pen Of Bish-
op Burgess. of Maine. and was contributed by
him to the book published and sold at the late
Sanitary Fair at baltimore. under the sanction
of the State Fair Association Of the women Of
Maryland: Co
THE BLUE COAT OF THE SOLDIERS.
You asked me, little one, why bowed.
Though never passed the man beforey
Because nv heart was full and proud ~'s
When saw the old blue coat he wore;
The blue great coat, the sky-blue coat,
The old blue coat the soldier wore.
knew net, ! what weapon he chose.
What chief he followed, what badge he wore;
Enough that in the front Of foes
His country's blue great coat he wore;
The blue great coat, DO
Perhaps he was born m forest hut,
Perhaps he had danced on palace floor;
To want or wealth my eyes were shut,
only marked the coat he wore; ss
The blue great coat, dc.
II mattered not much if he drew his line
From Shem or Ham, in the days of yore;
For surely he was brother of mine, ~
Who for my sake the war coat wore;
The blue great coat, Sc. A
He might have no skill to read or write,
Or he might be rich in learned lore;
But knew he could make his mark in fight,
And nobler gown no scholar wore
Than the blue great coat, &c.
1t may be he could plundcr and prowl,
And perhaps in his mood he scoffed and swore;
But would not guess spot so foul -..
On tie honored coat he bravely wore;
The blue great coat, DC. -
He had worn it long and borne it far;
And perhaps on the red Virginia shore,
From midnight chill till the morning star
That worn great-coat, the sentry wore;
The blue great coat, dc. -
When hardy Butler reined his steed
Through the streets of proud, proud Baltimore
Perhaps behind him al his need, t.
Marched he who Wonder blue coat wore;
The blue greatrcoat. dc.
Perhaps, il was seen in Burnside's ranks,
When Rappahannoek ron dark with gore;
Perhaps Tn the mountain side with Banks
In the burning sun more he wore
The blue great coat, &C. -
Perhaps in the swamps was q bed for his form,
From theseyen days battling and marching sor'
Or with Kearny and Pope mid the steely storm,
AS the night closed in, that coat he wore;
The blue great coat, dc.
Or when right overa as Jackson dashed,
That collar r cape some bullet tore;
Or when far ahead Antietam flashed,
He flung to the ground the coat that he wore;
The blue great-coat, &c. ~
Or stood at Gettysburg, where the grdyes
Rang deep to Howard's cannon roar;
Or saw with Grant the,unchained waves
Where conqueripg hosts the blue coat wore;
The blue great-coat, DC.
The garb of honor tells enough,
Though its story guess no more;
The heart it covers is made of such stuff,
That coat is mail which that soldier wore.
The blue great-coat, dc.
sn-Ee
lie may hang it up when the peace shall come
And the moths may find il behind the door
But his children wiilAp6int when they hear
dinm, AZ
To the proud oldseeats their father wore;
The blue greatscoat, DC,
And so, my child, will you and ],
For whose fair home -their-blaod they pour,
Still bow the head, as one goes by
Who wears the coat that soldiers were;
The blue great coat. the sky-blue coat
The old blue coat the soldier wore.