The day book. [volume] (Norfolk, Va.) 1857-1867, 1866-09-08
THE CHARGE AT BALAKLAVA.
BY JAMES BARRON HOPE.

v "A DARRON hOT
'lished by request in the Norfolk DAY BOOK.
Squirting onward, Captain Nolan
Squirting furiously is seen
And tho the road meapders,
His no heavy steed of Flanders,
But one lit for the commanders
Other m jesty the Queen.
Hating where the noble squadrons
stood impatit mt of delay,
Out he drew his brief dispatches
Which their leader quickly snatches,
At q glance their meaning catches .--
They are Of der'd to the fray
AL that morning they had waited,
As their frowning faces show'd,-
Horses stamping; riders fretting,
and their teeth together setting
Not q single sword-blade wetting
As the battle ebb'd and fow'd
Now the fever spell is broken,
Ev'ry man ieels twice as large
Ev'ry heart is fercely leaping,
As a lion rous'd from sleeping,
For they know they shall be sweeping
In moment to the charge
Brightly CLEAN six hundred sabres,
And the brazsn trumpets ring;
Steeds are gather d-spurs are driven
And the heavens wildly rivsn
With q mad shout upward given,
Soaring vultures on the wing
Stern its meaning for the Frenchmen
Look upon old 7England's sonsI
In each mind this thought implanted
Undismay'd. and all undaunted-
By the battle-fends enchanted,
Ride they down upon the guns.
Onward on the chargers tramp.e,
Quicker falls each iron heel,
And the headlong pace grows faster
Noble steed, and noble master,
Rushing on to red disaster,
Where the heavy cannons peal.
In the van rides Captain Nolan,
Wide his flying tresses wave,
And his heavy broad-sword flashes
As upon the foe he dashes-
God his face turns white as ashes
He has ridden to his grave. i
Down he fell, prone from his saddle
Without motion, without breath,
Never more at trump to waken =
He, the very first one taken
From the bough so sorely shaken,
In that vintags-time of Death
In a moment, in a twinkling,
He was gather'd to his rest,
In the Tins for which he'd waited =
With his gallant heart elated,
Down went NoIan-decorated
With death-wouna on his breast
Comrades still are onward charging, SGT
He is lying on the sod
Onward still their steeds are rushing
Where the shot and shell are crushing 4
From his corpse the blood is gushing,
And his soul is with its God.
As they spur on, what strange visions
Fit across each riders braini
Thoughts of nnaidens fair-of mothers-
Friends and sisters-wives and brothers
Blent with images of others,
Whom they ne'er shall see agais.
Onward still the squadrons thunder,
--Knighuy hearts were theirs and brave
Men and horses without number
All the furrow'd ground cucumber,
Falling fast to their last slumber-
Bloody slumber bloody grave
OF that charge at Balaklava,
I'm its chivalry sublimel- -
Vivid, e. and historic pages
Shall descend TO future ages
Poets, painters, hoary sages,
Shall record it for all dime
Telling how. those English horssmen
Rode the Russian gunners down,
How with ranks all torn and shatter'd-
How with helmets hack'd and batter'd- /
How with sword arms blood-bespatter'd /
They won honor and renown.
Twas "not war;" but it was splendid
As a dream of old romance;
Thinking which their Gallo neighhors
Thrill to watch them at their fabors,
Hewing red graves With their sabres, /
In that wonderful advance.
Down went many gallant soldier
Down went many a stout dragon;
Lying grim, and stark, and CORY,
On the crimson field of glory;
Leaving US a noble story,
Z And their white-cliff'd home boon.
Full of hopes and aspiration
Were their hears at dawn of day.
Now with forms all rent and broken,
Bearing each some frightful token
7 Of q scene meier to be spoken
In their silent sleep they lay.
Here noble charger stiffens,
There his rider grasps the hilt
OF his sabre, lying bloody
By his side, upon the muddy
Trampled ground, which darkly rudy,
Shows the blood that he has split
And tonight the moon shall shudder
As she looks down on the moor,
Where the dead of hostile races
Slumber, slaughtered in their places;
All their rigid, CHASTITY faces
Spatter'd hideously with gore,
And the sleepers, ah the sleepers,
Made a Westminster that day,
Mid the seething battles lava;
And each man who fell shall have
Proad scription--BALAkIAvA
Which shall never fade awsyi
NITART.--The Richmond Dispatch says
Richmond enjoys freedom from disease,
known before at this season OF the
10 next session of the Virginia Military