Shenandoah herald. [volume] (Woodstock, Va.) 1865-1974, 1878-06-19

fIlty-tuo men OF war carrying guns
of tremendous calibre surrounded that
now sacred spot, ON the land side q
force Of four thousand men were dis
embarked, and this force, together with
the ships. assailed the works. For two
days the battle lasted, raging at inter-
vals and the very air was hot with FIRE,
and the very earth shosk with the con-
cussions of the prsjectiles hurled from
these ponderous guns. There was no
quiet Or any rest and as if the fends
themselves were helping, the battle
thundered on. Over twenty thousand
shot were rained upon the spot over
which the flag Of freedom foated defiant.
ly and grand and yet the fort held out;
to his gun every gray,jscket soldier
stood like man, and back again
Dixie's cannon hurled defiance on her
enemies, and answered shot with shot.
Fooled and haffled, another assault was
determined en-, and but few weeks
later another fsrce was landed On that
beach. Eight thousand men this time,
and splendidly equipped and fresh. and
ships with seven hundred guns Of the
heaviest sort, and all this to take a little
fortress built Of brick and sand, mount.
ed with only forty guns, garrisoned by
only about nineteen hundred men,
Think Of that. Would these soldiers
IN the gray Jackets fight against such
tremendous odds' That they usuld.
Tha! they did. The combat opened.
Suddenly. together! every ship opened
with terrific fire, and swept these para
sets with torrents of shot and shell. and
for two days it was perpetual roar,
A blaze Of lurid FIRE at night, hurri-
cane Of iron missiles night and day, and
every gun on our ramparts wa: dls.
nantled and not man could leave the
bomb proofs where he csuched 10 avoid
the terrible tornado that swept con-
tinually every inch Of ground. Then it
ceased suddenly, absolutely, and thes,
not until then, net antil all eur canaon
were wholly useless, the blue coats
charged. They gained the fort. Over.
vhelming the guard, they entered
through the ,sllyport and ever the
land side walls they poured in and
over the parade, and su:gea towards the
bomb proofs in which the shattered,
bleeding and exhausted garrison were
couched. They got within striking dis
tance. and then with a wild roar the
patriots leaped irsm their dens and
sprang npon them. With shout those
eighteen hundred wern cut and bleed
ing boy. III gray hurled themselves
upon at least six thousand foes and
fought them with unmitigatsd fury for
three hours. aye; drsTe them DacH
again even 10 the walls, covering that
parade ground With heaps of slain. o
had we but too thousand fresh troops,
and even then the victory had been
ours. Impossible! No reinforce
ments were within reach, and seoR the
red tide Of battle surgea back again
aud at last-their general MORALLY
wounded, sHd their ranks torn BY tore
rents OF musket balls, their ammunition
out Of reach and physical strength clean
goae-they were overwhelmed, out
numhered-nst euterayed! Gsd bless
their glorious memory and make US such
men as they were.
Flashed all thar bsyonst' bars, flashed a. hey
turnsd In air,
Bsyon.ting their enemies thsr. Will. the feet
thGndsred;
Plunged in tn. dsrk.nins smoke, rIgi. on their
foes thsy broke
Priysts szd General rsslsd frsm their hsyonst
stroke shattered and sundsrsd,
Whsn can their glory fade? o the grand ngst they
mads
All the world wendsrs. Honsrts the hsit they
made
HoAsr to the grand brigade, wAi.isg's brave hua-
srssi.