The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-10-24
nOR SMITH OF CO.
BY A. W.

He was honest and manly, nor boasted he one
Great deed which he could do, or which lie had
done. r.... tfrf II
He said very little, yet he thought far more &
Than the monkeys who chartered in bar.rooin
and store.
About our bleeding country" yet they couldn t
And fight in the ranks as private, o, mol
Now Bob didn't feel so, he to himself served,
All he, in his modest opinion deserved.
In this wonderful lack OF assurance there lay
The worst fault OF Bob Smith Of Company A
Captain White had belonged to that class, ts
they few,
Whoy a chronic affection of nothing to do
BE was handsome, polite, he eouio ofinh' anu
could swear, ,
PLAY billiards and chess, and wore marvels OF
hair, ~,
,v;.h = opsto Whose secret his barber could tell
Tbs ladies adored him, his fIther supplied
.rbe money with which public favor to ride
And he rode il proiusely, and that was the wa ?
He obtained his commission in Company a.
There were smiles for the Captain, and tears
and boquets,
And the dear tortured girls, in thousand
sweet ways
Paid the tribute which bravery exacts of the
fair,
But the Private was met with cold bloodel
stare,
Supercilious and naughty. and so silly too,
For If eyes are the windows which the souls ioo.i
through, ..r. .t.
And cast such shadow as this, they re not worth
thought from the silliest Private on earth,
And Smith found before tcey were ordered
away,
That white represented the Company A.
When down at the front there vas work to be
done
Smith valiandy shouldered his knapsaci and
And marched the long marches, ate beef and
bareback,
And laughed at the blues until he forced them
back
To seek reinforcepents - and all night long
stood
In tire lone picket.guard by the ochoing wood,
Or guarded the tent where his brave Captain
lay,
Smith, a pirate in Captain Whites Company A
BE: and fierce ragged the battle-the Captain
came out,
Inspired 10y good stinulants, how Re did shout
AS they mounted q hill by 4 battery crowned
Whose horrible hail swept whole ranks to the
ground,
But mp up, higher still, they arc lost il the
fame,
The smoke and the horror too dreadful for name
10eN WrGSIe one tcITlole lusGtnl- us pdel'
The batterys thunder ia silencGd at last;
When The smoke cleared away White mounted
the gun,
And crowed like cock, of the laurels he'd won
I don't know where he was when they grappled
the foe,
lie was somewhere, no doubt, bat one thing ]
doknow,
The first man the battery not wall to scale.
Who knocked down the gunner mid rattlinc
hail
And tore down the colors on that gallant day,
Was Smith, poor private in Company 4.
They are mustered out now, musteIci out every
And some sleep sereDely on the fields which they
won,
And hearts which have loved the1n, speak each
cherished name,
But the stars AMI shoulder straps wear all the
fame.
. Nation, so lavish in gifts and in words
GIFTS Of gold and of silver, fine houses and
swords,
Didst ever reflect that all these things were
bought
By the blood of the poor private soldier who
| fought,
| And their widows and children toll on to the end
With this crUub of kindness thrown III by
| friend,
| It's great consolation, you of course, find II
20,
| That he died il this glorious conflict You know,
| Our brave Captain labors aye, faithfully, too,
At his old occupation Ofnotbing TO do,
And Bob Smith curls his lip, As be rghteousJ
may
To see who years the laurels of Company A