The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-12-06
Old Chiekanausa.
[By Bs,gamfa p. Taylor.l

with you and 50 saying. he seized the colcf
from the sergeant and rode into the storm Haf0s
GcHeraj james 3. Sisedasall at CalcsGBgGuga.
All, God but we We're nigh ulaone
That Sunday IN September
W Zen quSnched IN powder smoke the sun
Died Ike !. hickory eniber.
Pillar and cloud in broad daylight.
Like Ioity ghosts came gliding past
God Is guides that led the israelite
on Chickamauga met at last.
see the CLEAN of yellow sands.
The dark green cet.ars shining cones
The oaks that spread their tattered hands
And stand Ike specters IN their bones.
The long and crooked front Of blue,
Like some grand eoast-line stretched afar.
Heroic headianGis yalor-true
All hlossomed Gu. with flag and star;
And here and there the living line.
Bent inward ike dreadful bay
where. dense Is eane-brakes. n,uskets shine
And death ct anchor silent lay
And waited for The stIrges gray,
Then Iongs:reet's men cane rolling In
HightIdes Of battle, and the grum
And bIaek-Hlouthed batteries begin
To roar the weikin thunders GuuIb.
Then rose and fell as if they swung
Upon the sea, the rolling osrums
And wailing flies. and bullets Sung
Like busy bees when summer comes.
The kenneIed cannon reused from sleep.
RoaFed out until their heavy breath
Like heeees Of gigantic sheep
Lssy all along the line OF death.
The blue sea-waT was battered down,
The gallant headlands washed away.
Except upon one sandy crown
Where sturdy Thomas held the day.
His stubborn flags had taken root
Within that tawny earth below,
And many tongue grew gladly mute
To make those standards grow
Day of intrepid souls unsung.
That CLEANS across historic page
Red as harvest moon, among
The dismal Sundays of the age!
The gray and swirIing Iegions sTnote
That outline continent Of men
1t was as if the lghtnings wrote
Red autographs II was as when
The shepherd grim, Eurochydon.
Times his wild hordes Of shaggy nsves
With minute-guns, and thunders on
To herd them in the landwzrd caves
Knee-6eep in death the boys in blue
stood fast Gibraltar to the seas,
And sleety fire and iron flew e
And eolOrs riddled IN the breeze.
Time took that day two hours for noon.
Never so late was four o'clock,
Never so slow the western sun
Never so fierce the battle shock.
Then steedman with the hope foEIorn
Came riding in as cavaliers
Old AIay-days came with bugle horn
To crown some village queen with cheers.
The flowers he wore were immorteilcs.
The songs were made of cannon breath,
Around him whirled with sllriekine, shells
In gusty sSFarns the bees of death.
Head of the column, calm and grand,
This continental general rode,
His sword af:re, a blazing brand,
The royal route OF heroes showed
The bayonets glitter in the light.
The belts grow white the flags expand
Like flowers that blossom in the night
On comes the corps OF Cumberland!
So wild and high the fierce assault,
So red the blue, so rent the ranks,
The column made q breatkless half
AS ii the world were at his TANKS.
The general kept right on, and when
tie saw the dizzy column lag
He wheeled upon the waveTlng men,
Charged Ike a foe upon the Tag
And g-asped it Boys, you may. go backi"
His voice rang out, then right about
Faced the gray lions in the track,
The Tag viii so my way without
You, boysi" The words electric flashed
Heroic deeds along the lne,
And hearts we're thick while on they dashed
As cones upon Norway pane.
And tioubIe-quieIl IN double rhymes
They plunged amid che pillows gray,
They cleft them SIS II Red Sea times,
And royal Thomas held the day.
And Sinai Numbered right and left,
And through and through shot Steedman's aexI
As shuttIes through the warp and welt.
And Steedmaa riding on before.
And now this grand nilitia-rnan.
BY birth o regular and chief,
Supinc and pale has led the van
As silent as a faIIen leaf
Oh flags that wilted rs II frost
Had smOte We ere the winter cane
Oh flies that walled a hero lost
Oh, brgIes warbling sweet his fame.
oh, heart that led the hope forlern.
Goodnight, my General, and good-mozn'f