Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-02-15
BY J. E. WILSON

Now scarce three tnOuSanu Iahy ou "AN-,
They oa, the breeze to dare the battle once again.
Three DAYS, almost, they have remained behind
The broken army whose retreat they guard,
And two days marched, but not as yet 10 find
An enemy whose progress TO re tard;
For Forrest is their leade--who strikes hard,
When TOO close pressed by battle-seeking foes;
Forrest, who with the eagles eye keeps ward
And eage-like swoops on his prey, as knows
The cautious foe that deems him dangerous TO oppose
The foot-sore guard is halted by stream,
To rest as best they can this wintry day;
To call 1t Christmas seems almost a dream
For at tha, name the thoughts of all will stray
To well-remembered firesldes far away,
Where mothers, wives and sisters now are met
To spend the social hours-perhaps TO pray
For some who stand here, weary, cold and wet,
And who in iurn those loving ones will not forget.
But short the time allowed for fancy's flights
Their dreams are scattered by the cannon's roar,
Which, echoing sullenly among the heights,
Proclaims the foes approach along the shore;
Now they grid Oh the implements of war,
In answer to this angry Christmas greeting,
And IN their rain wet guns fresh powder pour,
To be prepared for the expected meeting
But Forrest is not ready yet TO fight,
For scarcely has the day of toll begun;
The battle must be nearer to the night,
Lest some mischance his feeble forces stun
With Overwhelming ruin; he must shun
The offered conflict, till he reach the place
He has selected TO strike down the Hun
There, at the righ, time, will he turn 10 face
The hunter who has dared TO rouse this waike chase
The guard moves onward many weary mile,
Till they ridge Of horseshoe form ascend
In which the road leads through broad defle
That narows gently to the upper end:
Jus, in the curve, their shafts of death to send,
Two cannon stand to sweep the entrance way;
The infantry along the sides extend
And on the clrcling hills in ambush stay;
Here is his lar-and here the lion stands at bay.
And soon the enemy draws near the hill,
Where few pickets here and there appear;
But all the wood is so intensely still,
He sees before him little cause TO fear
And form, his columns to advance more near
But when he fairly comes within the bound
OF the enchanted ring that waits him here,
sudden white cloud rises from the mound
A lightning fash is seen-and heard thunder sound.
II is the signal gun-Clan Apine's horn
Walked not such quick life in the silent trees
rushing host, as if of magic born,
On every side the foe, astonished, sees
And ringing clearly on the Winter breeze,
He hears again the wild, appalling yell,
Which oft before has caused his blood TO freeze
And here 1t sounds like Fates revengeful knel,
For now he finds TOO late that Forrest holds the dell
IT'S done-one glance at the descending host,
Sweeping 10 hem them In with fire and steel
One hasty voley-and the field is lost
The blue-clad columns falter-stasger-reel-
And break in wild confusion, while the peal
Of the artillery lends wings for flight;
The grey pursue, but not TOO far-they feel
That they have done enough 10 win the fight,
For they have many miles march this Christmas night.
The march Is now resumed-the chilling blast
Cuts through the thread-bare coat TO many breast
And the cold rain Is falling thick and fast;
But for that rear guard there can be no rest,
For foes still hover near them 10 molest
And still far distant flows the Tennessee.
Their leader cheers them on to do their best
And keep themselves togetheT-stil tot
The bulwark for the falling fortunes of the free.
The road is broken by the heavy trains
Which have SO lately in its ruts been led,
And by its side they march in winding lanes;
The line of march is shown by horses dead;
And here and there some soldier rests his head,
Who never more will march where banners wave;
Fo. in this wild wood is his narrow bed;
Tread softly, stranger, by the lonely grave
Il holds in trust the ashes of the and brave.
Atlength the promised bivouac they reach
And spread their blankets by the cheerful fire;
Blu, lef, behind are hundreds, OF whom each
Has struggled on through darkness, rain and mre,
Until he felt the light Of hope expire;
For ever present TO his mental gaze
The prlson-den that waits him if he tire;
And some ere captured through their sweet delays,
For OIL the road thousand struggling camp fires blaze
But most Of these next day rejoin the ranks
In time 10 do good service in the fight,
Which then occurs upon astreamlet's banks;
Where, with glad cheers they see the welcome sight
OF waters blood-staned by a foe in flight.
Again.they journey on the tedious path,
Nor rest their frozen limbs till late at night;
But maderespectful by his bloody bath,
The foe disturbs no longer Forrest in his wrath.
In TWO days more the arduouS march is ended;
They camp the margin Of the Tennessee beside
And watch its pillows kiss the bridge extended
To bear them safely o'er its foaming tide.
Oh blessed rver-the rejoicing pride
Of the stten thousand,1 these understand,
When from the mountain summit they espied
The Deep blue sea that washed their native strand,
And, shouting, ran 10 kneel upon its yellow sand.
FEBRUARY 9, 1866.