The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1879-01-13


Marked family in the white.
We fired single cannon,
And as its thunders rolled
The mist before us lifted
In many q heavy fold.
The mist before us lifted,
And in their bravery fine
Came rushing to their ruin
The fearless British line.
Then from our waiting cannons
Leapd forth the deadly flame,
To meet the advancing columns
That swift and steady came.
The thirty-twos of Crowley
And Bluchi's twenty-four
To SPOTS eighteen FOUNDERS
Responded with their roar,
Sending the grapeshot deadly
That marked its pathway plain,
And paved the road it travelled
With corpses Of the slain.
Our rifles firmly grasping,
And Needless OF the din,
We stood in silence waiting
For orders to begin,
Our fingers on the triggers,
Our hearts with anger stirred.
Grew still more fierce and eager
Az Jackson's voice was heard.
"Stand steady! Waste no powderi
Wait till your shots will tell!
To-day the work you finish
See that you do ii well!'
Their columns drawing nearer,
We felt our patience tire,
When came the voice OF Carroll.
Distinct and measured, 'Fire!'
Oh! then you should have ma.Ad us
Our volleys on them pour
Have heard our joyous rifles
Ring sharply through the roar,
And seen their foremost columns
Melt hastily away
As snow in mountain gorges
Before the floods of May.
They soon reformed their columns,
And mid the fatal rain
We never ceased to hurtle
Came to their work again.
The Forty fourth is with them.
That first its laurels won
With stout old Abercrombie
Beneath an Eastern sun.
1t rushes to the battle,
And, tho within the rear
Its leader is a laggard,
1t shows no signs OF fear.
1t did not need its colonel,
For soon there came instead
An cagle-eyed commander.
And on its march he led.
Twas PackinghanI, in person,
The leader of the field;
I knew it by the cheering
That loudly round him peal'd;
And by his quick. sharp movement,
We felt his heart was stirred,
AS when at Salamanca
He led the fighting Third.
raised my rifle quickly,
sighted at his breast,
God save the gallant leader
And take him to his rest
! did not draw the trigger.
Icould not for my life.
So calm he sat his charger
Amid the deadly strife.
That in my fiercest moment
A prayer rose from me,
God save that gallant leader,
Our foeman tho he be.
Sir Edwards charger staggers;
ge leaps ut once to ground,
And ere the beast falls bleeding
Another horse is found.
His right arm falls-'tis wounded;
He waves on high his left.
In vain he leads the movement,
The ranks in twain are cleft.
The men in scarlet waver
Before the men I'm brown,
And fly In utter panic
The soldiers of the Crown!
thought the work was over,
But nearer shouts were heard,
And came, with Gibbs to head it,
The gallant Ninety-third.
Then buckingham. exulting.
With proud and joyous glance.
Cried, "Children of the Tartan
Bold Observation-Disclosures!
Advance to scale the breastworks
And drive them from their hold,
And show the stanchless courage
That marked your sires of old"
His voice as yet was ringing.
When. quick as light. there camo
The roaring Of a cannon,
And earth seemed all aflame.
Who causes thus the thunder
The doom OF men to speak2
1t Is the Baretarian.
The fearless Dominique.
Down through the marshall'd Scotsmen
The step of Death il heard.
And by the fierce tornado
Falls half the Ninety-third.
The smoke passed slowly upward.
And. as II soar'd on high.
] saw the brave commander
In dying anguish lie.
They bear him from the battle
Who never fed the foe.
Unmoved 10y death around them
His bearers softly 90.
In vain their care, so gentle,
Fades earth and all its scenes;
The man of Salamanca
Lies dead at New Orleans.
But where were his lieutenantsf
Had they in terror hedY
No! X "A was sorely wounded
And gibbs as good as dead.
Brave Wilkinson. commanding
major of brigade
The shattered force to rally,
A final effort made.
He led 1t up our rainparts,
Small glory did he gain
Our captivcs some, while others neos
And he himself was slain.
The stormers had retreated.
The bloody work was Ger;
The feet OF the invaders
Were seen to leave our shore.
We rested on our rifles
And talked about the fight,
When came sudden murmur
Like fire from left to right;
We turned and saw our chicltain,
And then, good friend of mine.
You should have heard the cheers
That rang along the line.
For we'll our men remembered
How little when they came,
Had they but native courage.
And trust in Jacksons name,
How thro' the day he lahored,
How kept the vigils still,
Till discipline controlled us.
A stronger power than will;
And how he hurled us at them
Within the evening hour
That red night in December,
And made us feel our powar.
In answer to our shouting
Fire lit his eye Of gray;
Erect, but thin and pallid,
He passed upon his bay.
Weak from the bafiied fever.
And shrunkcn in each limb.
The swamps Of Alabama
Had done their work on him.
But spite of that and fasting.
And hours of slecplcss care,
The soul of Andrew Jackson
Shone forth in glory there.