Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-01-20
THE OLD VERMONT BRIGADE
In the Battle of the wilderness.

by MRS. a. H. FROST,
/ In every age, ~ every land
Are men OF very cline and race
/ VINO nObly lV'd, Jlviu ly died.
I On fame's bright pages found place.
/ At lucknow. Cdnru, BAnnockburn.
Al Waterloo and Marathon,
I Nt BatukIaNa Getty Sburg,
/ At Valley Forge and Donelson.
/ And hu nblcst sites are en- tugcd to shrines.
Where gladly wander pilgrim feet.
Where loyal hearts dCVoutly bring
Their Oilerlng of homage meet.
The centuries are starred with names
/ of Roman, Greek, Barbaran
/ While year crowns year with garlands new
For Lincolu. Grant and Washington.
But do we guard in Mem'ry's urn
The dust of those who humbly die,
| The nameless ones, the brothers true
/ Who stIl unsult unhonored lie
We know, dear friends of old Vermont.
That md that Yu~1 and shadowy host
Are sons of ours, brave martyr souls
VINO died uniinChing AT their post.
We know that like heroic Greek
We too have our Thormopylae.
N0 marble lion marks the SPOT,
No bard het sung its bravery.
On widowed hearth, by orphan ear
The brave SAD story oft is heard
With great, proud Sobs, with gladsome tears
From hearts whose sacred depths are stirred.
And shall not we with reverent hand
Remove the We i that dims our View
Tue glory of their deeds recall,
And wreath for them immortelles new!
Oh, for the Spartan's poet tongue,
a new Simonides to tell
How bravely our Vermont brigade
At Brock Road Junction fought and fell
The gallant Lee on native heath,
With proud defiance stands at nay,
While Grant like mountain eagle swoops
Impatient for the giant fray.
The royal foes full well discern
The coming combat's regal prize
They know that Lee the gateway holds
Through which the road TO Richmond lies.
The fateful Rapidan is passed,
The Wilderness be Ow us lay,
Where Lees whole army was entrenched.
our battle-ground, that fifth of May
The rebel chief Grants plan divnes,
The lynX-eyed Grant, Lees counterplan-
To cut our lines, roll up the halves,
Force Us across the ltapidan.
our crucial roint,-the Brock Road pass
Those troop must hod who know no fear
'petrY's division, corps the SiXth,N
Our old bugaIe gIne7 out cheer.
That Brock Road pass, at noon they again,
Iue order tor the day received;
"Ai every hazard hold the point,
At any risk, stay III relieved.
Three awful hours they noll the point.
Gln-t f"dIiul odds, Il desperate fight:
ANA men by inch dispute th ground.
But stlll no succOr gIects their sight.
Then comes the welcome order-"Charge :"
Through brstllng shrab aud dwarf oak
low,
With cheer on cheer our gallant boys
Rush bravely ON 10 meet the foe
Forward three hundred yards they dash,
h n n tTnT fhlf 1Ans bot
A roar, storm of red hot balls
That lit the Wilderness with flame.
They halt, return the fire, and drop
To sGt Id them from the deadly rain.
Forward :" advance Z" One lightning flash
And at their feet thousand slain
Advance there's none, none dream retreat
Down IL the tangled brush they lay,
With random aim unseen they fire
On unseen foes that fatal day.
such fusillades at such short range.
Our heroes fell like rpcned gram
Before the awful Mower, Death.
And oh, what sights and sounds of pain
But shll the papping lines are closed,
The boys seemed mad TO die that day
And dying lips are heard TO breathe
Until relieved; ; to stay, 10 stay
The air is hot with suphurous smoke,
Munltlon gone; they must succumb.
Their throats are parchcd. ON Lord, how
long,
VIII Hancock never, ncreT come?
So tense the strain, thought wandcrs wide -
To that famed pass in stOried Greece,
The bridge HOratus kept so well.
They dream OF love and home and peace.
OF LucknOw's siege, where Highland maid
The Scottish pipes was first 10 hear,
Her TcsCuing clunsmeu's slogan sure =
On God, Is that the Hancock cheer
They hear it not; the boys are deaf
With cannon roar and tusilade,
But hark 1t comes Above the din
Cheer answers cheer. They're saved
They're saved
What laurcls meet for men like these
Devoted lives the highest praise
sacred shrine within our hearta,
Inc nOblcst monument 10 raise.
lis true no brilliant charge was theirs
no famous victory was won;
Hui they tnca awful meaning knew
or duty nobly, hrdVc'y done.
And had they nunohcd or tliled that day
me pass 10 Mold like towards ilod
w nat might have been our army's fate.
Inc army Grant to Richmond lc3y
Then let the deeds of our brave boys