Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-05-12
Qostieal.
THE DEFENCE OF LUCKNOW.
BY ALFRED rESSYsoN

"
Britain. hast thou
Floated In conqaerlng battle apt to the batlecry
Never with mightier glory than when We had rear d
thee on high
FLYING at top of the roofs in the ghasty siege of
Lucknow
siot thro the staff or halyard. but ever We raised
And ever upon the topmost roof our banner of Eng
land blew.
Frail the works that defended the hold that
Women and children among us, God help them, oar
children and wives
Hold ii we mght-and fer fifteen days or for twenty
ut most.
'sNeycr surrender charge YOU, hut every man die
at his post''
Voice Of the dead whom We low ed Lawrence, the
best of the brave:
Cold were his brows when We kissed him-we laid
him that night in his grave.
"Everv man die at his post 80 and there hailed on our
houses and halls
Death from their rife bullets and death from their
cannon-balls
Death our nnermost chamber, and death at our
slight barricade.
Death while stood at the musket, and death while
we stoopi to the spade,
Death 10 the dying and wounds TO the wounded, for
often there fell
Striking the hospital wall, crashing thro it, their
shot and their she'll
Death-for their spies were among us, their marks
men We're told of our best
so that the brute bullet broke thro' the brain that
could think for the rest
Bullets would sing by our foreheads, and bullets
would rain at our feet
Fire from ten thousandat once from the rebels tina,
girdled us round
Death AT the glimpse of Il finger from the
breadthlof street,
Death from the heights of the mosque and the palace
and death in the ground
Mine? Yes, mine, Countermne, down, down and
creep thro' the hole
Keep the revolver in hand You can hear him, the
murderous mole.
Quiet ah quiet-wait till the point of the pckaxe
be fhro'
Click with the pick coming nearer and nearer again
Now, let it speak and you fire. and the dark pioneer
Is no more;
And ever upon the topmost roof our banner of Eng,
land blew.
Ay, but the foe sprung his mine many times aud it
ehsnced on a ,iay
Soon the blast of that underground thmnderclap
echo'd away,
Dark thro' the smoke and the sulphur like 50 many
fiends in their hell
Cannon shot, musket shot, voey on voley and yell
upon veil
Fercely all the deiences myriad enemy fell.
What have they DONE where is IL cat yonder. I
Guard the Redan'
Storm at the Watergate, storm at the Bailey. gate
storm, and Ii ran
surgine and swaying all round us ocean on every
side
Plunges and heaves at bank that is daily drowned
So many thousands that if they be bold enough, who
shall escape,
Kill or be kill'd, live or die, they shall know
soldiers and men
Ready take aim at their lcaders-their masses are
gapp'd with our grape
Backward they reel like the wave, like the
niDgng forward again.
flying and fold at the last by the handful they could
not subdue
And ever upon the topmost roof our banner of Eng
land blew.
Handful Of men as We were, wewerc English inheart
and In limb.
Strong with the strength of the race to command 10
obey, 10 endure,
Each of us fought II hope for the garrison hung
but on him
Still-could we watch at all points: we were every
day fewer and fewer.
There was whisper AMONG us, but only whisper
that past
"Children and wivesf the tigers leap into the fold
unawares-
Every man die at his post-and the foe may outlive
Better to fall by the hands that they love- than fall
into theirs"
Roar upon roar in Il moment two mines hy the encin
sprung
Glove into perilous chaslns our wall, and our poor
palisades.
Rhenien true is your heart, bnt be sure that your
hand be- as true
Sharp il the fire of assault better aimed your
flank fusilades-
Twice do hur them 10 tarth from the ladders To
which they had clung
Twice from the ditch where thew shelter We drive
them with hand grcnaf,s.
And ever upon the topmost roof banner of Eng
land blew.
Then on another wild morning another wild earth
quake Out-tOrt
Clean from our lines of defence ten or twelve good
PAGES or more.
Rihemen. high the roof hidden there from the I
light Of the sun
One has eapt up ON the breach, CRYING out "Follow
me, follow me ~
Mark him-he falls then another, and him too and |
down goes he
Had they been bold enough then, who can tel but |
the traitors had won,
BoardiDgs and rafters and dOors-an embraslrc,
make way for the gun!
Now doube-charge II with grape! II is charged and
We fire, and they
Praise TO Indian brothers. and let the dark face
have his duel
Thanks to the kindly dark faces who fought with US
faithful and few.
Fought with the brayest among u.s. and drove Them
and smote them, and slew.
That ever upon the topmosi roof banner in India
blew.
Men will forget what We suffer and not what We do.
But TO the soldier all day aud be sentinel all through
the night
Ever the mine and assault, our sales their living
alarms
Buges and drums in the darkness, and shou;ngs and
soundings to arms.
Ever the labor OF fifty had 10 be done by live.
Ever the marvel among Us that should be left |
alive.
Ever the day with its traltorous death from the loop
Ever the night with Its coihness corpse to be laid in
the ground,
Heat like the mouth ola he'll or a delugr of cataract
skies,
Stencil of old ofal decaying and infinite torment of
flies,
Thoughts Of the bree1es of May blowing over an
English field.
Cholera seurvy, aud fever, the wound that ro,i net
be healed,
Looping away the limb by the pitiful piiile.,
knife,
Torture and trouble in vain for it never could save
us life,
Nslor Of delicat. women who tended the hospital
bed.
Horror d women in travail among the d,ing aud
dad
Grief for our r@risliing caiidr-n and never q mo.
~ for yFief
iOA An4 insreb's ~esFins-.. faiiering hope- Of re-
Ha'eises bsfsei Or '''s:en butchered for all that
Se EHeN-
Then day and night. day and night coming down ,t
the stil-haisrsd all.
Millions of muskat bull-t. a u.i .i,s..,.,ts ~ ,
balls
But ever upon the tol'no-t rod our lanhrr of Eng
land blew. '
VII.
fIark cannondade, fusillade' j. 1t true what WI, tod.
by the scout.
outram and Hayelock breaking their wav through
the fell mutineers'
surely the pibr0ch of Europe il ringing again i'm our
ears,
All on sudden the garrison utter jubilant shout
iiaysloeks giorious iighlanders answer with con
queriEg ehesfs.
Forth froFa fe~as sss and their hidug. or ,v,,,..