The Portland daily press., 1889-10-03
THE PRESS.
THE PAUPERs IN BLUE.
BY HELEN n. PACKARD.

Belfast Journal
wen, Mary, SEEM the hayins done.
oness sn iii ia ain WORK pretty well through
Along with the "paupers in blue"
IT'S been good while since took rest.
aud kinder feel TODAY
just as though I'd like TO see ,em once mora
IN the real old soldier way.
tomorrow they're goin' into camp
M, DOWN n tnere ON blossoms Bay
jim fernald, Dan, an all the boys
VINO served In Company X.
An, Mary, tell you my blood's way up,
on account of what saw
In the paper today how the folks of the North
are urea OF so much bout the war.
Perhaps they are, but when read
ABOUT the "paupers In blue"
Inc same old blood comes boiling up
mat rose in '62.
can't forget how the brave young lads,
30 many, so merry an true,
went down TO the south, an gave up all,
10 be only "paupers In blue"
My memory's good for all these things,
An remember too,
How the men with money who staid at home
Were kind 10 the boys In blue.
don't forget that gloomy time,
In the spring of 81,
When Beauregard fired on Sumter,
An the strife had just begun.
They said to us, go fight the horde
Who our dear old flag deiled,
And we will care for those you leave.
For mother. and wife, and child."i
They kept their promise, nobly well,
And IL isn't the men ece knew
VINO point today The finger OF ,ScOrn
At the poor old ''paupers in blue"
But these whilper-snapper, youngish men.
who talk so big an loud,
A ma t an a.o, th a they can points give
They are the ones, who now TODAY
Give each OLD soldier stab,
And fear Wen bankrupt Uncle Sam,
BY the INFAMOUS pension grab.'
"Paupers in bluel" Not yet, guess,
Though we're bent with years and toll,
And we proudly wear the badge that tells
How we fought on southern soil.
Thank God, we can hold up our hands today,
With the consciousness OF men,
For we were the boys, the fearless boys,
Who faced the bullets then.
tell you, there's folks livn yet
Who honor our rank an file,
For they haven't forgot dread Andersonville
Nor Libby, nor yet Belle ISLE
sense it pretty well today,
That our time is geting short;
The long days drawin' 10 close
And the battle well night fought
But believe that over the river
We shall pass in a big review,
And il anybody there is sent to the rear
1t won't be the boys In blue.
But when we go down to camp tomorrow
Well let the pensions slide,
Well grasp the hands of Jim and Dan,
And our torgues'll be united.
Wen talk again of Salem Heights,
And that dread Sunday night,
When our brave Young boys went down in front
In the thickest of the fight.
And Rappahannock station, too,
Where poor Tom Crosby died,
We left him there, below the Ridge,
little stream beside.
Poor Tom, when get to thnkin' of him
There's something comes like tears,
An queer lump rises In my throat
For all It's so many years.
But, Mary, we drank from the same canteen,
And each others thoughts we knew:
And when he fell that awful day.
the bullet hurt me, too.
Wen speak of the terrible Wilderness
And of those who died in the fray;
And We'll drop tear for Sedgwick.
Who fell that ninth of May.
When get to thinkin' over those times,
AND the dear old comrades true,
feel a KIND OF pity for them
That call us ''paupers in blue"
They'll never know what tits to meet
And Iood old times renew.
They'll never know what Joy to greet
Each dear old friend in blue.
And though we're swiftly turnin' gray,
And our numbers CROWN few,
We amt quite good am ready yet
To be allied The ''paupers In blue"
They say we want the earth, an all that,
But we only want our due
For all we did and suffered when
We wore the army blue.
But tomorrow won't think OF that,
There'l be a brighter side
When we grasp each others toll worn hands
In comradeship an pride.
SO, Mary, pack me an extra shirt,
White gloves and necktle, too.
An I'll go down to camp with the boys
An see the whole thing through. a
Well give grateful country" a rest,
AID let them croakers stew,
While we live over old time days
Along with the "paupers IN blue"