Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-03-09

| Unless he bets on you as jest bout right.
/ Now Uncle Abraham could hoe his row
With any of 'em argyin' you know:
/ And then, someway. he kind o. had the swing
| or them old prophets, when he come to sling
| His English; an guess. take him all round
! He was the biggest man on top o. ground
| "You SEQ at flrst, /, bcln' n democrat
| Was thnkin' that the savage little spit
BctwtXt the north an south was all u OWN
To what them aboitionists was doin'.
! But gosh l soon got crazy as tho rest
An carried conl-oil lamps an yelled my best.
An pretty quick got to howlin' round
Bout John Browns body molderins In the
ground
So when Steve Douglas said, right fair and
square,
That this was treason lurking in the air.
run my flag up. an says, says L:
b jinlis' like old man Adams, Live or die,
Survive or perish, YOU can count on me
AS for the union an for liberty
IAN sol Billy! SAYS my wife-our Bill.
Jest barely turned fifteen but who could I'LL
The place os any feler OF his size
That ever walked beneath Ohio'S skies
"'Ot course says. but Billy he must stay
An plow an SOW an make the corn an hay
I'm still the tightin member o. this firm,
Though some 'ay lately amt worth q dern
But anyhow, there amt no use of prayin
go IN YOU an Billy do the stayin'.'
An then, although somehow the tears would
start,
marched away TO try an do my part,
With little Billy cryin' after me:
i want chance to strike for liberty
jest then l never thought the time would
come
When Billy couldn't fairly stay at home.
But thinning ranks require new bone an mus
Gle,
An so recruiting officers must hustle:
An when two years had puSsed 1 heard one
night
That Billy had enlisted for the fight
God: how watched that boy! Sometimes
with pride,
Then fearful as he kept step by my side
Into the oattle-up the mountain height,
Trying to keep his boyish form in sight,
praying an sometimes swearing too, maybe,
When he exposed hinsel: too careleSsly.
For boys, somehow, with twice the cause to
live.
Seem twice as reckless when life's to give
AT Vicks5urg, in the charge, the rascal
gained
rhc parapet, but fell back, crushed and
mliued,
Before the sweeping fire OF that red hell
Jest oy the spot where gallant Nevis fell
II took him in my arms and bore him back
Down under shelter, where the fire was slack,
Then called surgeon. while cried an swore
And dashed myself against the fort once more.
He rallied from that wound an he AMI
Walked side by side on that fourth day OF July
When Pemberton begged Grant the siege to
lift
An we marched in with arms right shoulder
shift.
$50 ttmo went on, an we had stood together
In lots o battles an in widest weather;
But, some way, he had never seemed so sound
After the day he got that ugly wound.
used to take the little feller's place
On picket specially when there WAS a trace
Of wandering in his manner or Il kind
Or strangcness. like he didn't know his mind
One night-'twas in the midst OF that cam
pagn
When s!i!rm!Shes were daily an the aim
D! Sherman an OF Hood was day an night
To get l chance to start winning fight
Billy was placed on picket duty, where
The danger seemed to hover in the air.
He had relieved rue, strange enough to say
An had charged him. as / came away.
10 keep his wits about him an his eyes
Wide open, or he'd meet with surprise
~ di Int like his looks: he turned from me
An kind o grasped his muskst carelessly,
Walking away upon his dangerous beat
With dreamy look an kind o. dragyin' feet
~ rolled up in my blanket. bu. someway
couldn't sleep: before me, plain US day,
Was that boy marching up an down-his face
With that queer look OF gazing into space.
An not the first idea OF danger near,
Or shadow Of anxiety or fear.
But Jest as II his thoughts were far away
To wnere his mother bowed her head to pray.
~ couldn't stand IT, so took my gun.
An stepping over comrades, one by one.
l hurried to the outposts silently,
Anxious to lind him once again an see
II all went well; an II 1t did. why then
I'd jest turn in an try to sleep again.
"I reached q spot close underneath the hill
When ut u sound my ve"v heart stood still
scutiie! then cry! a.. oath-ln then
I saw the forms OF half hundred men
Between me an the twnlillng stars dim light,
That jest outlined their figures on the height
1T want no time 10 thiaki raised my arm!
The good old musket rung out the alarm.
A dozen answering shots the rebels sent.
Then turned an run. yelling as they went
al scrambled up the hill, an awful dread
Choking my breath! the boy! he must be
dead?
An others came, an sooa we found his form
Stretched out upon the ground but moist an
warm:
A blow upon the head that stunned that g all,
iiis buh III Vlfht' WIN poWueT cap an Dali
An when saw it-wall felt smart
That hurt more'n II the wound was in his
heart.
ASLEEP upon his post He turnad to me
An put his arm around mo lovingly
Il couldn't help 1t, dad he said an then
He smiled that boyish smile OF his again,
Jest saying rs he turned once more You see
i've had my chance to strike for liberty
Don't tell the folks at home, beg an pray
An'then between the guards he marched away
1T want no usei begged, plead / swore
That Billy wasn't like himself no more
But there he was before us. well as ever!
He'd never been SO bright, reckon. never
Maybe 1t was the shock; but, anyhow
He stood before the court, his boylsh brow
Half hid by curls, an less affected when
The sentance came than oil the rest tho men