The National tribune., 1882-05-06
CEICKANAUCha
A Ballad.
BY S. J. LINDSAY. 5sth IND. VOLS.

Where the stream of Chiokauauga flows through
the darl, r,riuo
And Lookout Mountain looms above arrayed in
verdure green.
General wood with two brigades down at
Gordous Mills,
On the banks of Chic<amauga in the rugged Geor-
fia hills.
Ordered there to hold his post hazard all his
men;
Intrenchncnts soon were thrown around in
Chickamauga bend.
Now gathering for the onset the rebel legions came
In Overwhelming numbers across the bloody plain;
On they came ia solid columns, above them gilt
toriHg steel g
Then came the crash of musl1etry, the connon's
peal on peal
Bragg and Longetrcet Observation-Disclosures and
Johnston too;
Their forces rsassed in columns deep, were ordered
10 20 through.
They poured on Us "a lcaden hail and charged with
demon yell,
And in that Charge full many a foe and many
cOmralc fell.
Brave Criltcnden was in command of the gallant
Twenty first,
Heroic Thomas led his corps where the opening
conflict burst;
The Twentieth Corps: McCooB ahead, came dash
ing from the right,
And soon the smoke of battle obscured them all
from sight.
brave,
The light OF battle on his face on that tremendous
day
Pressed to the front. where bayonets cleaned and
dead and wounded lay,
Where gallant men Of each command like tigers
stood at bay.
Night came and wrapped the bloody field within
its friendly fold;
Like funeral bells the heavy guns in solemn ac-
cents tollcd
A requiem for the dead who lay in ghastly heaps
around,
While men in mortal agony lay writhing on the
ground.
Noon on sunday-Nrission Ridge-the tide of battle
svcils:
From left to right along our line the jaws of death
and he'll
Are opened with terrific roar, the cannons blaze
and rattle,
And pour food of iron hail upon our line of
battle.
Like the rattaplan of tenor drum or hail upon
the shingles
The loadcn vollcys sweep the field and with our
Efe-blood mingles;
The screaming shells whz through the air just
like rainbow arch;
Beyond our line they strike the earth on Changers
line of march.
The combat deepens; in our front the woods seem
all alive,
Like bees in our old orchard when swarming from
Longstreet from old Virginia and Bushrod John
sons men
Come rushing down the hillsides and out through
every glen.
Woods men had formed in column to move to-
And so the line by order was in the middle cleft,
The charging columns strike us while moving by
the flank,
And five divisions drive pen neil through the gap
upon our ranks.
Down from the right brave LytIe comes dashing to
the fray,
And gives his life in gallant strife in vain to save
The day,
On our left is Brannan and soon lines re- form,
Giving shot for shot up the hill the rebel legons
Our lines now form a angle extending towards the
And in our front and on our flank the foe is press
ing near,
With steady aim and qucl, discharge we pour the
Ieaden hail.
Were Buells boys" and in his sight no soldier
dares 20 quail.
Our line is growing stronger far from our left and
right
The soldiers scattered through the wood come for
ward to the fight
Stout, of the gallant Seventeenth, with men of all
commands,
Holds to the ridge upon our left though fighting
hand 10 hand.
Now to the rescue, double quick; the infantry re-
serve
Gallant stccdman at their head, the man of iron
nerve,
Rush like mighty torrent resistless in its flow
TO their places right, raining bullets on the
foe.
With answering shot and deafening yell the rebel
line advances
Towards the crest, their bayonets fixed, as knights
their battle lances;
Brave Steedman bears alon the flag full in the
rebels sight,
His men with step unfatering move forward to
the fight.
The ercest fight of all that day now RACES in our
'front.'
Thousands Of dead and wounded who bore the
battles hrunt-
The Blue and Gray and Butternut their muskets
thrown aside,
Are tranlpled on as to and fro surges the battles
tide
But soon the shout of victory bursts from our joy
Gus thrOats
As down the slope our minies strike the backs of
rebel coats.
Then pressing on, our brave old flag, though soed
and battle riycn,
Waves in the breeze, and thanks to God, to us the
yiCtory's given.
TIE CRAVE OF JEFFERSON.