The Crittenden record. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1904-1907, 1905-06-16

ust Of an old war veteran native John us
reared the part Of the county For more than years
the Cumberland Presbyterian church
1t was forty years ago yes, forty years ago.
The cruel war ended by surrender of the foe;
long the and brave men FELL
grief and their loved felt tongue can ever tell
We dug ditch and with our laid them side by side
coffin winding sheet could then provide
Two and one half million upon the Union roll
this number the close all that could poll
Sixy-seven thousand brave fell the battle field
Three forty wounded death did YIELD
Two hundred and fifty thousand from other died
Three hundred and thousand the Union side
The enemy brave they fought with all their might
No doubt large Of them thought they doing right
They lost many upon their side;
Counting both the blue and eight hundred thousand died
Now looking back upon the after these forty years
Is what worth all the loss the aching hearts and tears
To put price those dear boys who their precious blood
Could not be fixed with stacks Of gold high Noah food
There is no value fix in estmaes Of gold,
The heritage they left for tongue has told
long years struggle those dear boys who died and
for all this happy land Of both the brave and free
What might have been tell II had failed
perhaps for it's better that such things always vee
It's what what and what going To be
That holds treasure large enough to interest you and
Human slavery the issue causing much confusion
To think nation thus could stand was great deuson.
bitter strife in politics agitating ALL
house divided this way would be fall
Our leading would compromise try sides to please
But like opae o cure, only just a little ease
fever higher ragged and would false accuse
And sometimes with bitter words their neghbor would abuse
This question was the leader in each national election
The ballot often gave a different complexion.
In eighteen hundred sixty, when Lincoln elecced
The people Of the North by the South respected
With James Buchanan in the chair there repression
So the South began the work Of It's secession.
And before Lincoln took his JEFF installed
With States by their act 10 secession euihracd
The sky grew gloomy the days were passing by
The nation in the balance lay 10 either live dye
What Of the heritage left by our father, who had ded'
What Of the blood bought liberty Of which had pdc'
Had forgotten Valley Forge. and also Bunker Hll7
We're all the battles Of that for nothing to Kill?
We answered No, fathers died, everybody knows
That their unborn children might be free from ran foes
When Lincoln took his he said N you will loyal be-
III disturb you the least set the negro free
The Union though must be preserved let may
II shall forever be maintained spite 81 what you say
When promises and peadngs failed stop seessons tide
And they said within the Union they would abide
It the twelfth Of April, eighteen and sSty.onc
Fort Sumper the target. and the War-t begun
The question now at stake. and the one to be decided
Was shall the nation be one. shall Il be dvdci'"
tender hearted president wished that blood she'd
He knew that would Oh the land with Tor dead
But nothing else bu, would do the South not yield
No other way could settle 1 except the BATH, field
So 10 the call We did respond. Union 10 preserve:
Each Of "a took solemn oath country would serve
We left loved weeping hard from them to
It like breaking vital cords them To the heart
We loved them loved them, could ever tell
We also loved our country and We loved 1t full we'll
Each comradc s remembers they beat the Old long roll
II tried soldiers mct,lc ycs. Il tried he very soul
AZ we'd form battle line the enemy 10 meet
II meant, perhaps boody field u neither would retreat
We remember how lay all through III, night
And how, when day began break would begin fight
The gruans Of dying we'd hear amidst battle din
And thus we'd rugg, IN the fight until side would win
There messages 10 mother irum many diving boys
To them we'd stop and listen, too. amidst battles noise
Sometimes the with missiyc ior mother or a wife
Before the battle ended had laid down his dear he
We have forgotten how could see the powder fash
And how sometimes, with bayonc thcrcd be- mighty rrssh
How the elements pregnant with rchu shot and she'll
And everything, a. sherman said. seemed like a rial he'll
Sometimes we'd yet very cosc the hayohcts we'd fix
And then In deadly comba, with the enemy we'd mis-,
The awful horrors of such human tongue can tel,
Though could give picture u the deepest pits II hell
/ Thank God, the Is over. and each citizen Is free
/ To every human buudman Ne have brought the Jubilee
Through all The awful stugg, republic safely stos.i
And are. both North and SOUTH common brotherhood
The boys came home S uh scar and shattered health.
Some folks go, rch lut many iost 40 II the wealth.
The G.. A. T. wst ouaHitol ty i1os.who Non the day.
And Uncle Sam, n making laws. has Oct them have saw
our numbers on the rol getting smaller every dsy
It will not be much longer until ,I arc gone away
But a. lang Old soldier still fingers in the world
We will hold memorials with banners an unfarlcd
when We all have passed away, as is evident we will