The National tribune., 1883-05-03
SONGS OF THE CAMP.
The Battle Above the Clouds.


by Rer Theron Brolpn.l
By the banks of Chattanooga, watching with SOL
dier'S heed,
In the chilly autumn morning gallant Grant was
on his steed:
For the foe had climbed above him with the ban
of their band,
And their cannon swept the river from the hills OF
Cumberland.
Like trumpet rang his orders: Howard, Thomas,
One brigade aboard the Dunbarl Storm the heights
of Mission Ridge
On the left. the lodges, Sherman, charge and hurl
the rebels down!
Hooker take the sleeps of Lookout, and the slopes
before the town!"
Fearless from the northern SUBMITS, looked the
traitors where they lay,
On the cleaning Union army, marshalled as for
muster day
Till the sudden shout of battle thunder'd upward
from the farms,
And they dropped their idle glasses in hurried
rush to arms.
Then together up the highlands surely, swiftly,
swept the lines,
And the elang of war above them swelled with loud
and louder signs,
Till the loyal peaks of Lookout in the tempest
seemed to throb,
And the star flag of our country scared in smoke
Ger Orchard Knob.
Day and night and day returning ceaseiess shock
and ceascless change,
Still the furious mountain conflict burst and burned
along the range,
While with battles cloud of sulphur mingled
heavens mist and rain,
Till tn aseen ling squadron vanished from the gaz-
ers on the plain.
From the boats upon the river from the tents upon
the shore,
From the roofs of yonder city anxious eyes the
clouds explore;
But rift amid the darkness shows them fathers,
brothers, sons
Where they trace the yiewiess struggle by the echo
OF the guns.
Upward Charge for God and countryl Up! Aha
they rush they rise!
Till the faithful meet the faithless In the never
c!ouded skies:
And the battlefield is bloody where dew-drop
never falls,
For voice of fearless justice for q fearless ven-
geance calls
| And the heavens wild with shouting: fiery shot
and bayonet keen
CLEAN anu glance where freedoms angels battle in
Charge aud volley fiercely follow, and the tunul,
in the air
Tells of right in mortal grapple with rebellion's
strong despair
They have conquered-God's own legionsi We'll
their foes might be dsmayed,
Standing in His mountain temple 'gains the terrors
of His aid
And the clouds might ftly echo paean loud and
When from upper light and glory sank the traitor
| host u.sdone.
/ They have conquered 2Thro' the region where ou,
brothers pucized the palm,
| Rings the noise in which they won it with ths
sweetness of psalm
And our wounded, sick and dying, hear it in theil
crowded wards,
! And they whisper T" Heaven is with as Lo oul
battle is the Lord s!
And our fanished captive heroes, locked in Rich
mond's prison hells,
List those guns of eoudland booming glad as free
| dom's morning bells,
| Lift their haggard eyes, and painting, with the
| cheeks against the bars
Feel Gods breath OF hope, and see it playing witt
| the stripes and stars.
Tories safe in serpent treason startie those air,
cheers u ~
And that wild ethereal war-druRl fall like doom
upon their ears, ~
And that rush of cloud-borne armies rolling bacl
Nations shame
| Frights them with its sound of Judgment and it
flash of angry flame.
Widows weeping by their fresides, loyal sires de
spondent grown
Smile to hear their country's triumph from the gat
OF heaven blown.
| And the patriots children wonder in their smpl
| hearts to know
In the land above the thunder our ernbattIed cham
| pions go.