Arizona republican., 1899-04-18
A SOLDIERS SONG.

What does a soldier sing? The
answer depends very much on
whether he is a regular ar a volunteer
! If he be regular, in the majority OF
instances he will have on his tongue
! end The latest ballad of The variety
stage. The more satirical the ballad
I in is revelation of human weaknesses
or pathetic in its unfolding of simple
affections the better pleased the regu-
lar will De. He ;nus5 have the sar-
c3sm of The street or the rathos OF the
cottage to be thoroughly taken with
his song.
The volunteo- soldier is not 50 far
removed 1,om home influences tina. he
can forge. the song that touches his
heart in the tN light OF the day. Ger
tain songs, certain hymns, are COM
mon to all parts Of the nation, but
every mans mother has had some
melody he preferred to all others, and
sooner or later when &. the front this
finds its way to his lips.
So it is told of General Chaffee that
in the charge at El Caney he came
upon a p2Lyate deadly white but MAX
ing his way upward through the
Ticket, undoc fire, and shouting at
The top Of his voice:
HOW HrIn 1OunI2tlOn.
Thai is a very orthodox Presbyte-
rian hymn. Struck by the pallor of the
man, the general asked him why he
sung. The answer came quickly
That's my mothers tine I'm SO
gOl daTred scared it's all l can hold
on 60
Nevertheless he went on and into
the enemy'3 camp.
The volunteer is fond Of Ben Bolt"
no matter how ancient some foolish
people mink it mas become. When the
transport Seneca came northward
from the fever-beds OF SaIt.9lgo. the
volunteers, as she swung cat of the
Attar,ic and into American waters.
sung the old tune with great JUNCTION,
not emitting o stamp hard upon the
decks when they repeated the line
She wept with delight when you gave
her a SMILE
Even the sick men in the cabins
added their feetie pipe, while memory
brought back visions Of the old mill
and the moss-covered wheel where
waters wore noisy no more
The American line was wavering a.
Ell Caney. Unsupported by artillery,
it seemed impossible fer the men to
longer face the terrible fire poured
down upon them by the enemy On /
the extreme left there was much con-
fusion. Offce!.s had lost track of |
their commands, companies were /!
charging llindly without leaders, and |
a slaughter or rout was imminent.
The heat bore the men to the earth. |
Rramble and bush tore their flesh. |
Thirst CT the most aggravated kind |
was apon them. The mental anguish
Of The moment was awful, for the foe
was indiscernjole.
Some good angel prompted an I'M
known hero, pelnar5 an IndiaLa boy,
mayHap one from Michigan G.. New
York, to shout:
The army and the navy forever,
Three cheers for the red, white and
blue
He did not have to supply the other
ines. The time-scarred song brought
he men to their senses, placed coun-
ry above physical danger and DIS
comfort. Lines wee reformed, the
vavering line became an advancing
wall and never stopped until defeat
hanged to victory.
Al Montauk the different detach-
nents Of the $4,000 troops brought
here were much sea- cred. One and
wo miles often divided commands.
The different camps were set on the
rests or slopes of sand hills. In the
oCL of some evenings, just after the j
unset gun. the silence which would
all upon the spit of 'land jutung !
rto the ocean WAS oppressive.
On one such night last August after
day of nerve-wearing heat, when the t
vening star could be seen family j
n the west, a sweet breeze {
weLf- over tho water up the baked
and cliffs and into the camp of the /
7enth cavalry, coloTed. !
The freshness of the new air, the {
romise Of rest from heat, moved the |
pirit of some trooper, perhaps a ne l
no of Virginia, and of a sudden he be-
an to sing: |
Down in the corn fields close by the
mill, I
here lives a yaller G--t, her name is f
Nancy TIL" G
Two or til, ee other voices too it up S
5 he reached the chorus: {
Come, love, come, and go along with 7
me, t
nd I'll take you down to Tennessee" G
The words went floating away up to f