The National tribune., 1883-09-20
TIE Battle of Lookout Mountain.

-Harper's Young People.
The Battle of Lookout Mountain.
by Chas H. Squires, of Lockport, N Y. Read
the Middleport G. A. r. Reunion.
The mountain peaks of green and gray
Stand rugged, bold, and grandly free;-
Grim sentinels to guard the way
Where flows historic Tennessee.
The highest peak is known full well,
For Lookout Mountain is its name;
Here honored heroes bravely fell;
Here Hooker won immortal fame.
Between the hills upon the right
Our " boys in blue" camp meath the trees;
Above them, on the mountains height,
The foemans standard meets the breeze.
And where that flag so proudly floats,
Intrenched and armed are men in gray;
Their shotted guns, with brazen throats,
And mortars grim around them lay.
The blue-cothed heroes in the glade
Are resting now-their march is done;
Full many weary mile they've made
Since last arose the setting sun.
Their supper o'er some seek their rest,
Some to relieve the weary guards;
While round the camp-iires others Jest,
And tell strange tales, and play at cards.
But all now join the started song;
EOT1OG the CafuS, uilIOiu the story
What sing these heroes stern and strongf
Of tender love or martial glory?
Just as we thought-their voices tell
That all their thoughts are northward moving
All northern maiden, know full welil
The lover thinks but of the loving!
The weary stars that watched the night,
Are now relieved by dawning day
They battle their eyes in morning light,
And spread their wings and fly away.
Now, with the first faint flush of morn,
Come heavy clouds and full of rain;
They wrap the grand old mountains form,
And spread their manties DER the plain.
But harIl reveiile wakes the camp;
Battalions form in battle line
And forward march, with steady tramp,
As steady as the pulse OF time.
As up the road with martial tread
The men display their bayonets bare,
The regiments their colors spread
To kiss the misty morning air.
Six thousand brave men strong and true
March forth to do or die to-day;
Brave Geary leads these - boys in blue"
Who holds yon stubborn line of gray?
On Raccoon Ridge" to scan the fight,
And note the fortunes of the day,
Is Hooker, with his laareis bright,
So bright they'll never fade away.
Brave Osterhaus came up at night,
His sturdy boys their share to claim;
And bronzed and dusty with the fight,
Were gallant Goddard, Craig and Lane.
But here's the mountain; seel shell
Comes screaming on its deadly wayl
This the beginning-who can tell
The ending of the dreadful fray :?
Halti'' Geary cries; 'Come,lose no timeI
The Third brigade will take The right;
The Second, here will form its line;
And on the left the First will fight"
The bugle's call sounds sharp and clear;
'Tis answered by the fife and drum;
And well-known yell and loyal cheer
Now upward go, now downward come.
And now they charge in s. double-quicl1,"
While DER them deadly missiles fly;
All, men in gray you miss your trick
You point your brawling guns too high.
At length the mountains brow they reach,
And pour yolley on the foe;
But cannon's roar and mortar's screech
Proclaim that slowly back they go.
Their ranks are broken, banners torn;
Yet with purpose and a will;
Tho Northern maid and matron morn,
They IL form again and scale the hill.
Thap charge and counter-charge were made;
But sad the sight, and great the cost;
The rank and file in death were laid,
And, sadder yet, the day seemed lost.
"The Third brigade viii quickly go'
Said Geary, round the mountains side,
And in the rear engage the foe
"Ay! AyI We're oil" brave Goddard cried.
And now above the Clouds" they fight,
And fight they meath them in the vale;
'Tis hard to tell, if wrong or right,
Or friend or foe will yet prevail.
The mountains form with flames of fire
IG cir laA nd nm, arU hon
This, and the cang of arms conspire
To make the scene look weirdly grand.
Here blend. as deadlier grows the fight,
The wild hurrah-the dying prayer;
For grim old Death and Glory bright
Now hold high carnival in air.
Now hand to hand they have the fray;
Like waves upon the restless main,
First lines of blue, then lines of gray
Are down, are up, are down again.
But sect but seei from yonder crag.
Above the clouds of smoky air,
Up goes the Nations starry flag,
On wings OF Joy-on waves OF prayeri
The guns are still-the battles DER;
The foeman and the day have fled;
Now tenderly the night doth pour
Her waves of silence DER the dead.
On stairs of smoke from plain to peak,
Climbed Fighting Joe :" with fairy fame;
The unborn ages yet shall speak,
In verse sublime, brave Hookers namei
And Lookout Mouatai7 too, will be
The warriors pride, the poets lay,
As long as doth the Tennessee
Glide down her banks of green and gray.