The Opelousas courier., 1870-11-19
ZEE TO THE REAR.


Dorp of a pleasant morning in May,
t,",kr through the Wilderness. cool and gray,
iUb;Ie pe,rllcd in the tallest tree tops the birds
We're tarolling Memberships Songs without
Words
Ear from the haunts of men remote.
IL brook brawlcd on with Il liquid note.
Ir,, Nature, all tranquil and lovely, wore
iTnr slul,r Of the Spring, as in Eden, of yorc.
ti.tl. by little, as daylight increased
Au. .i-c,irnrd the ruscate flush i'll the East
i;ttlt. hy little did morning reveal
Two long, glittering lines OF steel:
yrberc two hundred thousand haycnets gleanl,
T;nurd will the light of the earliest beam,
4 - the faces arc snllcn aIiI grim to see,
l., the hostile armies Of Grant and Lee.
Az Of a. sudden, ere rose the sun.
p.alctl Oh the silence the opening gun
. little white puff of smoke there came,
AM, anun theSallcy was wrcathed i'll flame.
DOWN on the left of the rebel lines
Vher4 a breastw ork stands in copse Of pines,
Hatorc the rebels their ranks can form,
The Yankees have carried the place by storm.
Stars ard Stripes DER the salient wave,
Where many n hero has found grave;
An. he gallant Cunfedcratcs strive III vain.
The ground they have drenched with their blood
to regain!
let louder the thunder of battle roared-,
Yer dcallier fire on their columns poured
slaughter, internal, rode with despair,
Furies twain, through the smoky air
Net f,r OF. in the saddle there sat
i; yr. SD, arded man, i'll Il blafk slnuch hat
81, u1lch moved by the fire was he,
IaIm aud resolutc Robert Lee.
Quick and watchful, he kept his eye
On yo bold rebel brigades close by
Reserves. that were standing tand dying1 at
Where the tempest Of wrath toprlcd over tn"
trees.
Fur still. with their loud. deep. bulldog bay,
TYie Yankee batteries blaZcd away,
anl with every murderous second that sl'ed
4 dozen brave fellows alas fell dead.
The grand old gray beard rode to the space,
Where Death and his victims stood face to face,
Aui s.ieutiy waved his old slouch hat
{s5,!d Of meaning there was in that!
..FdH,w me! steady! Well save the day
Ih.s wsz what he seemed to say:
h..; ~ H. ;isEt OF his glorious eye
H.: ! ii brig AIDES thus made reply:
We'll 60 forward, but you must go back y
-l..; they moved not AL inch OIL the p.rilous
track:
",;n +, the rear. and we'll send them to h-l!'
then he sound OF the battle was lost in their
Yell. .s
Turning his bride, Robert Lee
Itr,le to the rear. Like the waves Of the sea,
:surstiug the dykes in their overflow,
Nadiy his veterans dashed On the Zoe.
And back ward in terror that foe was driven,
Their banners rent and their columns riven,
Wherever the tide of battle rolled,
OYER the Wilderness, wood and wold.
Sunset out Of a crimson sky,
Strcained ptr field OF rudicr dye,
And the brock ran on with purple stain,
From the blood of ten Thousand fecnien slain.
Seasons have passed since that day and year
Again DER it's pebbles the brook runs clear,
And the field in richer green is drest,
Where the dead Of the terrible conflict rest.
flushed ia the roll of the rebel drum
The sabers are shcsthed, and the cannon are
dumb, .--
And Fate, with pitiless hand has furled
The @aiag that once challenged the gaze Of the
world;
Bat the fame of the Wilderness fight abides,
And down into History grandly rides,
Calm and unsnoyed. as in battle he sat.
The Gray bearded Man in the Black SLOUGH Hat