The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-08-28

were OF iun.
The ladies. bless their hearts, of Lock
port town
Lent willing hands and did Us royaI
brown.
lresenting us with colors lust as fine
" ever famed the air. No golden mine
'ouid buy that fag when we left home
and all.
Aud marched away to heed our country =
call.
We had or ups and downs ike other
boys.
Aud many troubles. though share of
joys;
1hro, dust and mud. in rain and slect
and snow.
We went, no kicking where we had to
Until in August eighteen sixty-two.
We pitched our camp, likely sight to
view.
Among Cuipepper's green and shady
hills
And filled our canteensf from its sparkling
rlls
The tents they shouc like silver in the
The stacks Of muskcts and each irow hing
gun
stood ready. for n mile or two away
Was Stonewail Jackson, waiting for the
fray.
Our flag. ah. me- il never looked So bright
As on that summer morning in the grow
ing light
When we fell in. and felt il in our bones
That bloody work was coming. and the
stones
On Cedar Mountain would be wet with
gore
Aud hundred sleep the sleep Of nevermore
We asked no questions. all we soldiers
knew
Was Banks was there to tell us what to
And wherefore wasn't ours TO think or
ask
But just to buckle to the awful task
oi lighting thrice our number chats no
lic):
Twas almost noon. Weheard our Colonel
shout
Charge. old Twenty eighth. drive the
Jhonpies outl'
\ ringing cheer rang all along the line.
And with "A rush that stilfened every fel-
lows spine
We sent the Johnnies flying like the wind
And lett their dead aud wounded far be
hind
Our gallant Colonel Dudley Donnelly fell.
And bleeding died there in that mouth Of
he'll:
And Lewis too. who bore our flag that
day.
Fell on the field. and while he wounded
lay.
Brave hands TO rescue. held the banner
high
Til each and all were stricken down to
die:
Our Lieutenant-Colone Brown, God bless
himl he
There lost his arm--a fighting, for the
free
He's here; but Sprout, our Adjutant, was
shot.
And breathed his last sigh on that fear
ful spot
The rank and file went in three hundred
strong,
And more i guess you've heard that
famous song
n Balakiava, and old England's braves
W nom laundering orders sent to heroes
graves.
Well. Balaklava was like children's play.
And wasn't in it with the desperate way
The Twenty-eighth went down like sol
dier toys,
And lost two hundred of its noble bows
The fight was worse than useless. Who's
to blame?
Don't ask. No good We won a gIori-
Gus name
But not the field; we lost. and worst of
all
Our cherished flag; the Johnnies had the
call.
Like sheep they packed us in the cattle
cars,
Till Libbey found us penned behind its
bars,
With one small piece of our shot-riddled
flag,
A precious frayed out little bit of rag.
But iull OF cheer day after weary day.
W hiie pam and hunger wore our dreary
lives away.
But wars, like all thing else. must have
an end.
Though still for three years more twas
fight and spend
And blood and money flowed in streams
away.
ntil upon that fateful April day,
At AppomattoX, Southern flags were
furled,
And peace, our peace, was hailed |
throughout the world
We boys had had enough of fights and |
gore,
And glad were we to see our hapDy |
homes once more.
We'd saved the Union; not silyery star
Was blotted from the flag: no single I
scar
Defaced the stripes of lovely red and /
white:
But Stars and Stripes reflected freedoms |
light
Our angry foe became our loyal friend.
I'LL In another war we both contend
To see who'll fight the hardest for the I
land
Whose life was threatened once by 1
brothers hand.
Wen, twenty years went by, an not a /
sign
~ our old flag except that six By nine.
Ihat little strip held fast by Colonel
Brown
When we were captives in old Richmond /
town.
Till eighty-two, perhaps twas eighty |
one,
He spent happy day in Washington.
When searching in the pile with eager
air