Читать книгу The Third Massachusetts Regiment Volunteer Militia in the War of the Rebellion, 1861-1863 - John Gray Gammons - Страница 6

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“’Twas eighteen hundred sixty one, April the twelfth at six,

Old Sumter’s gates were firmly barred, and water filled the ditch;

And the sentinel with martial tread, the relief expected soon,

When upon the air so calm and still, there came a cannon boom.

“Beat the long roll,” the Major cried, “bid every man fall in,

Secession’s work so long delayed, the Rebels now begin;

But just as true as the Old Flag does from the flagstaff fly,

We’ll show the Rebs true Yankee grit, we’ll whip them or we’ll die.”

Boom! boom! the cannon loud did roar, the shot flew thick and fast,

And many a shell of a hundred pounds close to Old Glory passed.

Said Anderson, “My noble men, such things should never be,

Those stars of light, those bars of gold are emblems of the free.”

“That flag, the glory of our land, should we but pull it down,

Would make our mothers weep for shame, and our sweethearts on us frown.”

And every man he loud did shout, “Hurrah! Hurrah! Hurrah!

No traitor’s hand shall touch that flag, or its glory ever mar!”

Our dear Old Flag, in darkest days, inspired the old war song,

“We’re coming Father Abraham, three hundred thousand strong.”

And when the mud of the Sacred Soil made weary soldiers lag,

Then new strength came to march again as we beheld the flag.

When on the field of Winchester, in the thickest of the fight,

The Stars and Stripes were seen aloft, it gave the soldiers might;

And when we all were driven back and thought we’d lost the day,

Then daring Sheridan came up, and unto us did say:

“Right about march, just follow me, I’m with you although late;

Fix bayonets, charge the Rebel lines, and all the ground retake.”

And every man, on foot, on horse, looked like a son of Mars,

As he shouted “Down the Rebel flag.” “Hurrah! the Stripes and Stars!”

At Gettysburg, our dear Old Flag was riddled by the shot

And men had fallen by the score, by roadside and in lot.

For three long days we fought the Rebs, repelling Pickett’s charge,

And the victory of the Old, Old Flag, did every heart enlarge.

When in our country’s darkest hour, our Grant was heard to say:

“Be true, my men, to the Old Flag, and you’ll shall see some day

That victory like the morning sun, will rise and on us shine,

For that Old Flag, so dear to me, I’ll fight upon this line.”

At Appomattox, in sixty five, we charged the Rebel lines,

And then in silence, there we stood waiting for further signs

Until we saw General Grant pass, in arm with General Lee,

For the Flag of Slavery had surrendered to the great Flag of the Free.

Then wave, Old Flag, wave evermore, our fathers fought for thee;

Thy very presence make us glad, as thy Stars and Stripes we see.

Thou art the sign of liberty, the glory of our land,

And long our institutions free, like bulwarks sure shall stand.

Sentinel of old, stand at thy post, and from the flagstaff fly;

For thee, and for thy honor bright, our comrades dared to die.

Receive the honors due to thee, and may we all be true

To the Stars and Stripes, our country’s flag: The Red, The White, The Blue.

By the Compiler.