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Keenan's Charge

Keenan's Charge image
Parent Issue
Day
3
Month
June
Year
1881
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

CHANCELLORSV1LL, MA.Y 1S63. The sun had set; The leaves With dtw were wet; Down Teil a bloody dusk On the woods, tJiat second of May, Where Monewull's corps, like a beastof prey, Tore through with anKry tuk. "TheyVe trapped us ban '" fto-1 from our flank .1 roic. With a rush ot steel aad smokr Is straight, 1 - ii.i wi.i .is iiate; .r luw reelrdaiul brokt: ; Hrokeand ried. No onc staid hut the dead ! With curst-s. shrteks, and tries, Horses and waunns and men Tumblcd back through the shuddering gicn, And ubove us the lading skies. There' one hope, still - 1. ríes parked on the hill I 'liattery wht-cl I" (amitl the roar) "Pass pieces ; lix prolonge lt hre Retiring. Trot I" In the panic dire A bugle ringt "trot '-and no more. The horses plunged, The cannon lurcned and lunged, Tojoln the hopeless rout. But suddenly rode a l'orin t(H ,--r Calmly in frutil of the human Storm, With a stern, commanding shout : "Alln those guns!" (We knew it was Pleasonton's) The cannoneers bent to obey, And wnrked with a will at bil word : And the black guns movtd as il Ihey had h-srd. Hut ;ih, the dreud dclay ! 'To waït is crime ; 0 God lor ten minutes' time 1" The general looked arouod. There Keenan sat, like a stone, With lus ihree hnndred horsc alone - I-css shaken tli.in the ground, ¦ Maj r, oui men?" r ! Io y"'' best: 1 lutil tin ik in y lack, at all cm '1 ill my guns ure placnl - el se thi anny is lost. Vmi du t" save the rest !M II. By the ithrouded gleatn of the western skirs, Brave Keenan looked in Fleasanton' 111 instant- clear, aml cool, and still : 1 lm , yUi uuiu, in MUd : " i will." Cavalry, charge I" Not a man of them shr:ink. Their sharp, tuli chei , Inm i;mk to rank, Kose joyously, with a bn Rose like a greeling hail to death Then forward they sprung,and spurred and clashed ; Shoulcd the oflicers, criinoiicil-sash'd ; Rode well the men, each brave as his fellow, In their faded coats of the blue and yellow; And abo in the air, with un instinct trut-, Líke a bird of war their pemion liew. With a clank of scabbards and thunder of steeds, And blades that shine tike sunlit reeds, And strong brown faces bravely pule Kor fear their proud attempt shall fail. Th ree hundred Pennsylvanians close On twice ten thousand gallant f oen. I,ine aftcr line the troopers came To the edge of the wood that was ring'd with tlame ; Rode in and sabered and shot - and feil; Nor came one back his wounds to teil. And full in the midst rose Keenan, UU In the gtoom, like a niartvr awaiting his fall, While the circle-stroke oí his saber, swung 'Round his head, like a halo there, luminous hung Lioe after line; ay, whole platoons, Struck dead in their saddles, (#1" brave dragoons lïy the maddened horses were onward borne And into the vortex rlun&f, trampled and torn ; As Keenan fought with his men, slde by slde. So they rode, UU there were nu morc Kut over them, lying there, shattered and mute, What deep echo rolls?- Tis a death salute From the cannon in place; for, héroes, you braved Youx fate not in vuin : the army was saved I Over them now- year following year- Over their graves, the nine cones fall. And the wbip-poor-witl chants his specter-call ; Hut they stir not again : they raise no cheer; They have ceased. But their glory shall never cease, Nor their Hght be quenched In the llght of peace. The rush ot their charge is resounding still That saed the army at Chancellorsville.

Article

Subjects
Ann Arbor Courier
Old News