The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1892-06-09

shore.
Fitting it's on this occasion,
While we give each other greeting,
And our thoughts on mem'ry'S piniOnS
Backward fly in recollection,
To the scenes now gone forever,
;eneS through which we passed together,
That the pleasing "reminiscences,
Incident and pleasant story
OF experiences many,
That to mind now come so freshly,
should try in words to picture
To your minds who so we'll know them.
remember when to Petersburg
The Union lines were pressed,
With words of fiery elOquence
=. The rebels we addressed.
We'd holly been engaged that day.
Had fought both long and well,
DiSputing iuch by inch, the ground
Where many comrade fell.
In battle-line we lay that night,
The picketS stationed round;
With arms in trim beside us
We repOsed upon the ground,
The night was calm and beautiful,
The moon her soft light shed,
Alike on friend and enemy,
On the living and the dead.
The boys from old Connecticut
Held the centre of the line,
Behind a slender breaSt-WOrk,
In the woods of oak and pine.
Under cover of the darkness,
Beneath the forest shade,
A strong brigade of rebels charged
And for the breast-wOrks made.
The Colonel to his men then said:
''NoW boys just wait bit,
Until they get SO near us,
Every man his mark can hit"
Our bows had seven shooters"
Splendid rifles too they were,
And whene'er in fight they used them,
They were bound to make a stir.
,6DIo Hr;rr do nh
The forest tearing through,
Until they got so near the boys
Their faces were in view.
Cup bOysr' sang out the colonel,
"GiVe it to 'em quick and hot,
With compliments of Uncle Sam
And brave Connecticut"
Every gun leaped to its shoulder,
Every eye its mark did take,
And they fired crashing vOlley
That made the forest shake.
The rebel host was staggered
But they rallied in tTice,
"FOr," they said their ''guns are empty,
And we've surely got them nice"
'Let them have another volleyp' =
Said the colonel to his men,
And once more vOlley Numbered,
And the forest shook again.
Seven times those rifles spOuted
Forth their murderOuS sweeping blast,
And that rebel host was routed,
And they just ''skedaddled'' fast.
"Charge on them, boysr' the colonel said,
And at his ringing word,
They Ger the breastwOrk quickly leaped,
And chased the flying horde.
B 1T few, of all that rebel host,
Their clutches did escape;
And nearly all who were not killed,
They prisoners did take.
s:You'ye right smart guns I reckon"
Said prisoner to his guard,
| -"Theymade our boys git up and git,
For you gave it to us hard.'
ssThey're a Yankees new invention"
| Said the guard in mirthful way,
"We wind them up each morning, 49,.
And they shoot throughout the day."
How we loved the banner starry,
|; Which we often had to carry,
Where bursting shells and bullets gave, i
| many rents and scars; =. - =. -
Where amid the dead and dying
And deadly missiles flying,
The only sight that cheered us was tn
dear old stripes! and stars.
Loved we it where musket's rattle
And the leaden hail of battle,
Was to ears though trained to hear il
| anything but music sweet. -.
And though oft of victory failing
Kept the dear old flag from trailing
In the dust, or being trampled meath tn
rebel traitors feet.
In the trenches that we guarded,
| By the rebel guns bombarded;
We have lodged full many a shot and She
that meant to do us harm,
When the we'll known watchwOrd ''cover!
AS the mortar shells did hover
Ger us, gave us note of danger, as
sounded the alarm.
When the darkness gathered round lis,
| With our blankets wrapped around us,
How we loved around fine brightly burnin
campfire oft to meet;
While the stories were a telling, 49,.
Or the chorus full was swelling,
And the sweet potatoes roasting in the ashes 6
| our feet.
Ah those sweet potatoes mellow
How delicious to fellow;
Great improvement they on "hard tack" whe
we could secure a batch;
How we foraged oft to get them;
with what relish did we eat them;
And we knew just where to get them for eac
soldier had patch.
Don't we well remember now
| Those potatoes sweet, and how
Refreshing to the soldier was that food?
With bayOnet for hoe;
| We could clean out every row.
Though we borrowed them without leave the
were good.
Then we'd sometimes for dessert
| Things that grew not in the dirt,
Things that gObbled and we're gobbled in a tric,
! Fried in butter, boiled or roasted,
Or upon the bayonet toasted,
Served in ev'ry style and fashion they were mic,
Many a dinner we have eaten,
! Which (although it might be beatenl
Was the best the times afforded (best thu
Uncle Sam could getl
| When the "hard-tack" OF our portion
Was instinct with life and motion,
When the crawling life within it made it Oft 'gc
up and gil.