Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-06-08
Tell it as you may,
1t never can be told;
Sing II as you will,
1t never can be sung


1t never can be sung
The story of the glory
OF The men who wore the gray
In their graves. SO still
The story of the living,
UnfoTgiven yet forgiv wing,
The victims still of hate
Who have forever chung,
With love that will not die,
To the memories of our Past,
Who are patient and who wait,
True and faithful to the last
For the Easter morning sky,
When Wrongs rock shall roll away
And the Right shall rise again
In the brightness of light
Triumphantly and glorious,
To teach once more TO men
The Conquered are victorious.
The Conquered in the strife,
Thro' their children, yet shall reign
By their patience and their peace.
They shall I'LL the Peoples life,
From Rights ever virgin vein,
With the purest blood that flows,
Made the purer by our woes,
Without stain ana without cease,
Till the children of our foes
Shall be glad and proud to claim
Every dear and deafness name
On our Southern muster-rol
All! we Rebels met defeat
On the CORY battlefield,
And We flung our muskets down,
When our Bonnie Flag was furled;
But our Right did but retreat
With pure honor for her shield,
And with Justice for her crown,
(For against us thousands came,
Money bought from every cline,
But we stood az linst them all,
For the honor of our name,
Till the fated day OF time
Came but to crown our Fall
With fadeless wreath of Fame)
Retreat into that shrine,
Back of every Southern breast,
Your hearts, my friends and mine
Where Right finds a holy Rest
On the altarstairs that slope
Toward the throne where reigns the Just,
While still live on In hope,
And in Him we place our trust.
Is it treason thus to sing?
Why, then, treason let it be.
Must stoop TO fawn on VIZ ng?
Our hearts idolatry
And the fealty of song?
No. no;--the past is past
May il never come again;
May no dream or ougles blast
Summon warriors to the plain
The battles play is DER,
We staked our all and lost
The red wild waves that tossed
Are sleeping on the shore.
She went down in the dark.
Is it wrong for TO listen
= To the waves that still will glisten
Where the wreck we loved went down?
Is itwrong TO watch the pillows
That are dropping DER the grave?
Is it wrong to love our brave?
Are our memories treason
Can the victors give reason
Why the men who wore the gray
FROM our hearts Snoulu n1drcn away
And should pass from us forever
Like the dreamings of the night?
1-ha Hood con secrsted ties
The sscred boDds Of sorrow
Ths. will link our last Tomorrow
To our glory -halIowed past?
An! our nedTlS cry NEVER NeVeE!
ToI e@cn sJiulSl- lnts oics
In our memories still is beating;
Tho the years are fast Tetreating,
We remember TO the last.
nay Ten II as you inay
And - si me- :; 81 ~ Ua ,o ne Vii vGfI'
1t never can be sung
,,,,o go, -. a., L.. -, 49,. por,;o p,o
"e EiaSSy Vi 'He s'oiS Vi Jul o0ie' DoNiiie
yvt,a,, ~ ,+1o ,,,ics , ,,; q, ,,o ,,oI1a,,
WHEN us pdltie,Wllss were waving III inc NalieS-
n Al, on u NJ ne ctas Tug -, . =, A., -. -.
Ol 'iiS DiiioMs VI 'ne oceall-Oy INC INeis "inu-
ing shore'
The wears have passed AWAY
But ahf Ills Ringing still
Around our hearts totSay
The selfsame spell it flung
Der our soldiers In their gray
Back OF lines that never qusiled-
m, an from pattle, banners NASH .
IheIe We're lips that moaned anu walled,
ana now many eyes tnat Wept'
mo lney hearu no cannon Crash
NOR tne terror-storms OF lead.
49,, ana tney slSheQ tne Wnlie they slept
n9n tney uleainS anne, tneir OWL were oeau'
9.9l Is ~ 81 solio ~ .I.t tai.
IA, a a. - 80 ~ 70 si.S A'ueAi''
And az ~ W ,. ~, ny ~ Pn,yyoh,,
In their infinite despair
Cleans of hope TO light the Night
DArkly gathering DER the Right.
a., a s;,o- ,o.bo-
an II ~ 81 ~, it Sesii 81 ~
uaIf tbo tasrs ia ~ sIIaSS ',ho an,
0f The eriafs 81 snnh s sln Cup
~ e u 7'
Crimson drops on battle plain,
Thro' four sorrow-laden years
Were they richer than the rain,
That ba Ftized our homes with tears?
Nay no singer yet mas sung
oOhS W tel hSaibS has oi-N