The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-10-15

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| hear them night and day.
III make road to them unknown,
And as just now we have no moon,
| think by aid of my pontoon,
To far out-general Dick;
My troops have al quito perfect grown
In marching double-qhiek.
Porter and I we'll agreed,
He needed mine and his aid,
We shook hands, drank, then prayed,
To Father Abraham;
Whose blessings will he, I'm afraid
"YOu're neither work a d."
This council over, Porter went
Straight to his boats, | to my tent,
Where both cum solus did repent,
This movement up Red River;
I felt my chance for President
Was gone, perhaps, forever
Alone thus soliloquised,
Ambition, what hast thou devised,
That ever yet was realized?
There's always some darn thing,
To take that starch SO highly priced
From Fancy's gilded wing"
Just as my hopes were being crowned,
Whilst reaching for the topmostround
I've slipped and fell, now Pm found
Down at the ladders base,
There sitting on the cold, cold ground,
Overwhelmed with disgrace.
Yet mighty chiefs, almost as great
AS /, Ger now have met defeat,
Remember, sir, Napoleon's fate,
At bloody Waterloo;
Some Roman Chiefs of early date
Have changed their bases too.
Great Agamemnon oft, you know,
Was beaten by the Trojan foe,
Altho' he had like Abe also
With him wise Ulysses
Grant that my fortune now is low,
Good luck may yet come with us.
By heaven III not be so cast down,
| yet may save my great renown,
To smiles change fortunes frown--
I'll act without delay,
And like the soul of old John Brown,
Go marching on my way.
Abe's little jokes are all played ont,
Grants Richmond trip will end in rout,
The Dutch'll kill Fremont With klout,
Brute Butler is on the shelf, &
Chase I can beat without doubt
Seward will beat himself.
! will have some bogus fights invented,
And have them in the papers printed ;
Twill keep my friends at home con-
tented
The truth I'll quito disguise,
And as all Yankeedom's denented,
They'll not suspect they're lies.
Ny reverie was not in vain,
felt once more like Nath again,
II except twitchiDg pain,
And in my head a fever;
This last was niggor on tho brain,
The first, desire to leave here.
I orders gave without delay,
That ere to morrow's dawn Of day,
This army must be under way,
And as.my train was small,
| burnt I'LL rations, oats and hay,
My wagons conld not haul.
That night we left, Porter was gone,
We double-quicked, but no man run,
And strange to say, no rebel gun
Was heard the live-long day,
But ere the next noon-day sun shone,
| We found them in our way.
We heard their yells, I know the sound,
First at Lecomte's, then next TIVE found
Them at Monette's, in fact all round,
Were rebs like swarms of Bees;
When my braves are homeward bound
They go just where they please.
We got across, scarce know how,
Good luck for once / must allow,
Perched, just in time, upon my brow
For which good Abe be thanked
No one can tell where I'd been now
IT l had then been fanked.
Once over Cane, we broke for Red
In double-Qulck, but as / have said
We did not run, but quicked ahead,
Without single halt;
And if one man another led,
1t was the latter's fault.
/ was the first to reach Rapides,
| have bottom, sir, as we'll rs speed,
Though others made good time indeed
None done it quite as quick,
And all my worthy staff agreed
That | had distanced Dick.
just then from Porter came this note,
Which, if You choose, I'll to you quote:
"PIease call up, Nathan, at my boat,
Please come up right away
There is scarcely half my feet afoat-
Come quick, there's hell to pay.
"The Eastports gone up the spout,
Both my champions are played ont,
And several more, / have no doubt.
AS they have not come down,
There's rebs every where about,
And half my boats aground.
"Nath, if you can't my boats protect
Or if you can, and it neglect,
Why blow ME, they'll all be wrecked
Blown up, burnt up and sunk;
| almost sometimes, Nath, suspect.
You have not true blue spunk.n
This last line, Kirby, raised nv dander
In fact it put ME all in wonder,
| who SO oft had braved wars thunder
And now to be thus jeercd,
but prudence kept my hot blood under
Not that ] Porter feared.