Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, 1881-01-15
THE BALTIMORE GREYs.

All. well remember that long Summers day
When round about Richmond our broken ranks
lay,
Week in and week out We had been at the front,
And borne without finching the battles fierce
bruRt
Til, shattered and weary, we needed repose
Ere we met in death struggle our numberless
foes, aa ~ y # 81
Our knapsacks were empty, our uniforms worn'
Our feet, from long marching, were naked and
torn.
But not man rrumbled In the rank Or the hle;
We bore all onr hardsbips with joke and
smile,
For Jackson was with us, and, under his eye,
Each soldier determined To do or to die
That evening old Jack had as ont on review
When q glance down the line showed Us all
something new.
Eighty.seven young boys from old Baltimore,
Who had run the blockade and that day joined
4 our corps. tR-
Their clothes were resplendent al new, spick
and span,
Twas plain that tailor had measured each
man, .st Nsah F#.A>1 B. .Ehs
When we learned who they were, what o shout
we did raise! s.sE-Na haf d.
How we eheered our new allies, the Baltimore
GreysT s.a fHsa- f,.ss 10
There we're Lightfoots and Carriers and Towards
and Kanes, ~ B. a . -n |EEa-
The grandsons Of Carroll, the nephews of Gaines,
And as the brave boys dressed up in arrow,
You could see the pure blood Of the proud
Huguenot.
But we were old vets of Stonowalls Brigade;
We'd been fighting 50 long that war seemed a
trade, u. a.E.>.
And some of us aughed at the youngsters SO gay,
Who had come to the battle as if coming to pay
And all through the camp you could hear the
rough wits
Cry, "Hullo, young roosters!' and ''landided
citsm asA" ssa. ktAtlh TT
But the boys took it bravely and heartily laughed
At the hungry "Confeds" by whom they were
chafed.
Till one ragged soldier, more bold than the rest,
Fired off tins rough joke, which We all thought
the best
Boys, you'd better 90 home tbs getting quite
late"
Then the girish,faced Captain spoke up and
said, wait"
They didn't wait long, for the very next day
We were ordered right off to the thick of the
fray,
For early that morning we'd heard the dull roar
Of the guns ofour focmcnon Rapidan's shore.
And all Of us knew, with old Jack in command
If fighting was near him, he'd at once take a
hand.
And, sure enough soon marching orders we got,
And WE swung down the road in foot cavalry
trot'
The boys were behind us. T fell to the rear
appear.
Their files We're close mp. their marching was
true;
reported to Stouewall, Eyes, Gcucral, thcyn
do
In few minutes more the action began.
We met the first shock, for we were the van,
But we stood to our ranks like oaks of the field,
For Stonewall's brigade never knew how to
yield
Upon us however, battery played,
And huge gaps in our ranks were now and then
made,
Till Jackson commanded charge up the hill.
Jackson said to the Greys, Such valor you've
shown
You'll veterans be ere Your boards are grown.
In this, your first action you've proved your.
selves bold,
I'll station you here, these guns you must hold"
Then the girlish.faced Captain, so straight and
so tall,
Sauted and said, You'll here find us all,
For wherever stationed this company stays"
How we laughed, how we cheered the Baltimore
Greys ....... ....
But the red tide of battle around us still flowed,
And we followed our leader, as onward he rode,
Cried Good bye" to the boys, take care of the
guns,
Wen relieve yon as soon as the enemy runs"
All, yes, indeed soon the brave boys were re-
lieved,
But not in the manner we had all believed.
Alas, the sisters who weep and the mothers who
pine
For the loved and the lost of the Maryland line
By some fatal blunder our left was exposed,
And by thousands of Federals the boys were
ihclaed.