The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-09-06
THE YANK AND THE REB.

tThe following poem was suggested by
an incident in the authors experience
and is heartfelt tribute from one who
Wore the blue to the courage honesty and
loyalty of those who wore the gray)
White fingers were strewing memorial
flowers where the fallen confeder-
ates lay,
The boys who had fought meath the
! Stars and the Bars. in their ragged
old suits of gray,
AND L laid white rose on q grave at my
side-a token tender and true
/ To the courage of those who had fought
as my foes while l was wearing the
blue.
Nearby stood veteran. grizzled and
bent, who held in his trembling hand
tattered old flag, that in many a fight
had led his confederate band.
And l saw the tears start to his dim.
misty eyes, as he gazed ON that
banner there,
And folded it round the bullet-Scarred
staff with a sad and reverent air
Then one who had worn nor the blue nor
the gray, standing there by the
graves of the dead
With a cold, sneering smile on his lips
the while in tone of mockery said:
Just see that crippled old Johnny there,
with his worn-out shred of a flag,
Wiping the tears from his watery eyes
at the sight of the old rebel rag.
The nag OF a cause that he knew was
unjust and of ignominiouS birth,
That represented no tangible thing in
the heavens or on the green earth +;
nag Hold moment. my friend, 3"
said. while l ask you question
Pray, where were you, then. in the six
ties, when the Gray was fighting the
Blue?
Not following where that old banner
led, or you would acknowledge, 1
ween,
That it represented courage as great
as the world has ever seen.
Nor bravely facing those legions in gray
or you would certainly know
Ihat none but coward would cast a
slur on gallant but fallen foe.
Il stood on the line in many a fight and
heard the wild rebel yell,
And saw those ragged old legions charge
through storms of shot and she'll
And my heart said then, and repeats it
now, as every true heart must,
That never an army fought like that for
a cause they deemed unjust.
Il thought they were wrong. and 1 think
so still. for l am a Yank, you see
But through triumph and rout l had
never a doubt they were thinking
the same of me;
For no hypocrite host could ever boast of
soldiers who fought so well.
Or those who would face with an equal
And 1 yield no jot of my loyal pride, or
of love for the flag of the free,
When l bow my head DER the graves of
the dead who fell in the ranks of
Lee,
And l claim the right of soldier. who
did his best for the Union flag
To honor the vet whose eyes grow wet
at the sight of that battle-torn rag.
For tbs proof to me of loyal soul, that
will never desert a fight,
But will bravely defend to the bitter end
the cause he deems the right:
And l know that henceforth he will prove
more true to the Union Stripes and
Stars.
Because he will not dishonor now the
fallen Stars and Bars.
"And whenever within our time, my
friend. foreign foeman comes,
And a call to arms, with the rude alarms,
of the bugles and the drums
Then you, once more as you did before
safe at your home may stay
While your country's foes will be
thrashed by those who wore both
the blue and the gray"
LUCIUS PERRY HILLS.