The Springfield herald., 1899-04-07
GrAnd Arnr Poem
IBy W. II WHITx !

Ahh " . II " ma \
Are all OF You Grand Army men.
You each with badge just Ter the heart,
Did YOU break ties OF homr and Kin
For that great war to takc part
Now, are you mea OF that great war
That history tells somuch about.
And wear ware badge. ghastly SCAR,
ThSt you received on Shcrinan's routcF
Is there one soul of you can say
You were with Lyon W hen he fell,
Or at Pea Ridges bloody fray
whcrp sigel took such lighting spelli
Were you at Bull Runs first outsllght.
That men Of state rode out to see,
Where the unions gain was dearly bought
And all her force, hsd to nee?
Were you AT Lookout Mountains height,
Where, it seemed two worlds did take ahand,
Where rank and file alike did fight
Till tho battle smoke o'erspread the land;
Were you a, Chickamauga,s s,rifc,
or Gettysburg, whers Hancock rode.
Where each in blue did hazard life
TN the field was red where blood had flowed;
Were you a; vicksburg's bloody charge,
Nntrt INC lEtlAleil war NuOOp rhOnk tHt
hills,
Where blood did flow from gorge to gorge
TIL it stained the water 1t the rill?
And Were you At old shilon. too.
Where muttering thunder shook the earth
Where the south and north in gray and blue
Squandered in blood 4 nation's worth
Were YOU at AppomattoS sbout;
Where Bob Lee with the sOuth's whole worth
Gave DER TO Grant amid that shout
That did rcsound throughout the earth?
1t may be so--that you were there;
That what you say are perfect truths;
But you're all maimed and in gray hair,
Whilst all my comrsds were but youths.
II You are right then where's my boy..
Ny company comrads. where are they
Do they, too. ON deaths verge go poise?
Have they, too. grown SO old and gray
Why, when look across the way
And yiewmy comrads ON parade,
Itseems just like the other day
And time too short Tor one TO fade
They then stood straight In battle line
Whilst manhood's glory nusEed zach cheek
Twas an Insult then to men 80 fine,
To say that they would eer grow weak
But then guess It must he so:
when we sum up the years that's passed
Since We we were ont to face the foe.
Youth could not hope 20 long to last.
'ris thirty y ear. When counted streieht
Since wars last common. boom and roar
Rolled acro.s Virginia state.
And died out on Atlnntic's shcro.
And don You know how proud you felt
When 1t was known true peace had come.
And now IL seemed your hearts would melt
At thought OF meeting friends at home.
All, yes know there did ari-e
A feeling thst you could not smother
And tears would spring up in your eyes
Al thought OF meeting yosr dear mother
Then at home you'd have 70 tell
some father of his boy 80 brave.
OF how he marched and fought and tcll,
And how you marked his lonly grave.
Ah those were times ,lrst tried each soul
The stoutest heart world seem 20 siuls,
Yet further down times onward roll
The more you boys have cause to think.
When You look hseh your blood runs chill
10 think OF all the battles fought;
Tut your patriotism ls stronger SIN.
When viewing national changes wrought.
You iesrly earned your Rights to bragg
All unrcstrainca by rank or stztion,
BY placing ten stars on that dag
Aud saving the whole worlds chsuipio
nation.
NOV will leave you with yof God,
With hope thai when earih'> tie. are riven
And your bodies laid beneath the sod,
Noull muster round Cots throne in hesveT
The HERALD will be sent to am
tor one wear for Sl.25.