The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-05-29
Keenan's Charge.

CAT Charlottesville, May. 1859
The sun had set;
The leaves with dew wet
Down fell bloody dusk
Where Stonewalrs corps. like beast of prey.
Tore through, with angry tusk.
They've trapped us, boys!"-
Rose from our flank voice.
With a rush of steel and smoke
On came the rebels straight,
Eager as love and wild as hate:
And line reeled and broke;
Broke and fed.
Not one stayed-but the deadi
With curses, shrieks, and cries,
Horses and wagons and
Tumbled back through the shuddering glen,
And above us the fading skies.
There's some hope. still
Those batteries parked on the hilll
Battery, wheel!' Cmid the roar
pass pieces; fix proonge to fire
Retiring. Trot!' In the panic dire
A bugle rings 'Trotn'-and no more.
The horses plunged,
The cannon lurched and lunged,
To join the hopeless rout.
But suddenly rose form
Calmly in front of the human storm,
With stern, commanding snout:-
"Align those gunsi'
eve knew 1t was Pleasonton's.)
The cannoners bent to obev.
And worked with will at his word
And the black guns moved as If they had heard.
But, ah, the dread delay!
ITO wait is crime;
o God, for ten minutes time!"
The general looked around
There Keenan, sat, like stone.
With his three hundred horse alone,
Less shaken than the ground.
Major, your menu
Are soldiers. general" Then,
Charge, major Do your best;
Hold the enemy back, at all cost
Till my guns are placed;-else the army is lost.
You die to save the rest
BY the shrouded CLEAN of the western skies,
Brave Keenan, looked into Pleasanton's eyes
For an instant-clear and cool, and still;
Then, with a smile, he said: II will.
Their sharp, full cheer, from rank on rank,
Rose joyously, with willing breath
Rose like greeting hail to DEATH
Then forward they sprang and spurred and
clashed;
Shouted the officers crimson sashed;
Rode well the men, each brave as his fellow,
In their faded coats of the blue and yellow;
And above in the air, with an instinct true,
Like bird of war their pennon few
With clank of scabbards .. ,h,,ader of steeds,
And blades that shine like suniit reeds,
And strong brown faces bravery pale
For fear their proud attempt shall fail.
Three hundred Pennsylvanians close
On twice ten thousand gallant foes.
Line aIter line the troopers came
To the edge of the wood that was ringed with
flame;
Rode in and sabered and shetland fell;
Nor came one back his wounds to tell.
And full in the midst Keenan,, tall,
In the gloom like martyr awaiting his fall,
While the circle-stroke of his saber, swung
Round, his head, like halo there, luminous
hung.
Line after line, aye, whole platoons,
Struck dead in their saddles, of brave dragons
BY the maddened horses were onward borne
And into the vortex flung, trampled and torn;
AS Keenan, fought with his men, side by side.
So they rode, till there to ride.
And over them, lying there shattered and mute,
What deep echo rolls ?-'Tis a death salute,
From the cannon in place. for, heroes, you braved
Your fate not in vain; the army was saved!
Over them now-year following year
Over their graves the pine cones fall,
And the whippoorwill chants his specter call;
But they stir not again, they raise no cheer;
They have ceased. But their glory shall never
cease,
Nor their light be quenched in the light of peace.
The rush of their charge is resounding still
That saved the army at Charlottesville.
George Parsons Lathrop-