The Sixteenth At Games' Hill

Alón? the woods and hills that skirt Old Gaines' meadows fine, With purpose fixed and stern resolve, We formed in battle line , And in the heat of Southern sun Por five long hours we lay ; And watched the coming of the foe, With eager hearts that dy, The battle opener! ; and the shot Went shriekiug tliTough the air ; Lond cannons roared and fiery shelï Were bursting everywhere ; While muskets potired with deadly fire Their shower of leaden hail ; And from the wc.oils and grassy iu-lds, Went out the dying wail. Full well we know the fearful odds In that uneqiial fight, But stil I om' countiy's flag was there, Our faith was in the Ritht ; And men of the Sixteenth faltered not, For Michigan boys were we, And never yet before the foe Had they been known to flee. With whiskey fired the rebels came, Their traitor fonns ere near And yet no tremor shook our line, Our brave boys knew no fear ; Our well manned cannon mowed them down With canister and grape, And miisket volleys from our ranks Their solid columns raked. Three times the furious rebels charged Like fiends let loose from Heil, Upon our centre, right and left, With wild unearthly yell ; Three times our forces drove them back, And bore the battles brunt ; Wliile hearty cheers ran up and down Our firm unbroken front. And there we missed in thiekest flght, Our trusty Colonel brave, While many comrades loved and dear, There found a soldier's grave ; There Captains Carr and Fisher feil, Amid the fiercest strife, And Williams bravely yielded up The precious boon of life. And then our gallant Major Welch At once assumed command, With clarión voice and noble deed He cheered our little band ; And when at last our lines gave way, Before the treble foe, And we were forceel at times to yield The hill for the plain below. With burning words he rallied ua Around the Stripes and Stars, And bravely led us up aaain, Where waved the Southern bars ; And proud to follow where lie led, Witli ringing cheer and shout, We drove the rebels to the woods In panic-stricken rout. The sun went down with angry blaze Upon the scène of blood, And human beings. maimed and dead, Were lring where we stood ; But not till night had closed the fight, Did we our vantage yield ; Long after that we crossed the moor, And left the bloody field. A. B. MORSE, lst Serg't Co. B. Westover, Va., July 30th, 1862.