The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1903-11-20
charging ight st Nom


fringe
That purpled the path of dead.
A midnight fight on the mountain AM
daybreak tight in the glen,
And when Streight stopped for waite
he had lost three hundred men.
But he gained the bridge at the rive
and planted his batteries there,
And the halt of the gray was houn'
at nay.
And the blue-s wolf in his lair.
And ont from the bridge at the river
a white heat lightning came,
Like the hungry Tongues or a flores
fire, with the autumn woods atiame
And the death smoke burst above them
and the death heat blazed below,
But the men in gray cheered the smoK
away
And barred their breast TO line blow.
Should they storm the bridge at tn
river through melting walls of hr'
And die in the brave endeavOr to plan
/ their standard hIgher2
Should they die at the bridge on thu
river, or die where they stood III
! their track
Like a through-speared boa-, Will
/ death at his door,
But tossing the challenge backT
ITO the ford To the ford 7" rang the
bugle- land flank the enemy
out -
Ana quick to the right the gray lines
wheel and answer with shout.
But the river was mad and swollen-to
left, to right, no ford
And still the sting of the maddened
thing
At the bridge, and still the yoad.
ITO the ford To the ford rang the
bugle-"to the fOrd-retreat or
der
And still the fail of the bullet halls
from out a mortar sky
And they stood like blue bull
wounded. wallowing in. mud and
mlre,
And still the flash from deadly lash
And still the barbs of fire.
And out from near by cabin noun
tain maiden came,
Her cheeks were banks OF snow drlfCs,
but her eyes were skies of flame.
Ana she drew her sun bOnet closer as
the bullets whispered low
Lovers of lead and one OF them said
Eli clip curl as | gol'
Straight through the blisteriug bullets
she fled ike a hunted doe.
While the hound guns down at the
river bayed In her wake below
And around their hot breath shifted,
and behind their pattering feet,
But still she FLED through the thunder
red,
And still through the lightning sleet.
And she stood at the Generals stirrup,
flushed as mountain rose
When the sun LOOKS down IN the morn
ing and the gray mist upward
She stood at the Genel al s astirrup and
this is all she SAID:
"I'u lead the way to the fora today
I'm a girl, IN not afraid
How the gray troops thronged around
her! And then the rebel yell
With that brave girl to lead them they
would storm the gates of hell
And they toss her behind the General,
For she chung to MIN there
With her floating hair.
As the wild vine clings to the oak.
Down through the bullets she led them,
down through an unused Rad,
And when the General dlsmounted to
use his glass on the ford,
She spread her shirts before him i the
troopers gave cheer:
Better get behind me, General,
For the bullets will nit you here -
And then the balls came singing and
ringing quick and hot.
But the gray troops gave them ball for
bali ana answered shot for shot.
"They have riddled your shirt the
General saId. II must take you
out. of this DIM"
''Oh, that's all right She an
swere d light
They are woundIng my crinolinel'
And then. IN blaze of beauty her
sun bonnet off she took.
Right IN the front she waved 1t high
and at their lines 1t shook.
And the gallant bluecoats cheered her
ceased firing to mai
And the graycOats rode through the
bloody ford
And again the race began.
DO You wonder they rode like Romans
adown the winnowing wind,
With Mars himself in the saddle and
Minerva up behindf
Was ever a brave foe captured and con-
quered by such means
Since the days of old and warriors bold
And the Maiden of OrIeans2
The courage of man is one thing but
that of a maid is more,
For blood IS blood, and death is death,
and grim IS the battle gore.
And the rose that blooms, tho bills I
tered bv the sleet of an open skv
Is fairer far than it's sisters are /ho
sIeep in the not house nigh.
JOHN TROTWOOD MOORE.
Best Iinimp"t on Ia til.
I'm. McHany. tirecnville Tex, writes
\ ov. I'd, 100: AZ had rheumptism rs