Sheridan's Ride

The füllowing magnltlc&t lyric was written tiy Tli jhíii liuchtwiuu iïwl. K ue.ievve to rank wiih L' clmivar ; Up froru lbo Soutb at Inpak of day, Brinuina t Winchester fresh dismny, 'In' afftïghted air with a shudder bore, ,ike a l.erald in liaste to ibe chieftain's door, 'lic terrible rünibls and runible and roar, 'eHing the battle was 011 once inore. And Sheridan tweuty miles away. ■nd wider still tbnse billows of war 'hundered along tbe horizon' bar, And louderyet into Winchester rolled 'he loar oí' tliat red sea bticontrolled Making tbe blcod of tbe listener cold As lie thought of tlie slake of that öery fray, And Sberidan twenty miles away. But tbere is a road froni Wincbester town, A good, broad highway leading down ! And there, through tbe tlusb of tbe nmrning A steed, as black as tbe steeds of night, [ligbt, Was seen to pass as witb eagle flight - As i be knew the terrible ueed He stretcbed away witb his utmost speed ; Hill rose and feil - but bis beart was gay, Witb Sberidan fiiteen miles away. Still sprflng from those with hoofs, thunder Ui soutb, The dust, like the sinoke froru the cannon's moutb, Or tbe trail of a cornet sweeping faster and faster, Foreboding to (raitors tbe doom of disaster ; Tbe beart of ;he steed and tbe heart of tbe masler Were beating like piisoners aisauHing tbeir walls, mpatieut to be wbere tbe baitle-fipld calis ; iveiy nei ve of tbe charger was strained to iull play, Witb Sberidan only ten miles away. Jnder bis spurning feet, tbe road jijee an arrowy Alpine river flowed, And ibe landscape sped away bebind -ike an ocean íiying befo re the wind And the sleed, like a bark fed witb ftlrnace 3we]t on, witb bis wild eyes full of fire. [ire, Jut lo ! be is uear ng bis beart 's desire - Ie is simfling the binoke of the roaring fray, Vith Sheridan ouly five miles aw:iy. 'he first tliat tbe General saw were tbe groups 01 stragglers, and theu the retrealing troops; Wbat was done - ubat to do - a glance told liini both, Theu striking bis surs witb a terrible oatb, lie dwbed down the line 'niid a stoim of huzzas, And the wave of retreat checkcd its course there bec.iuse Tbe sigbt of tbe master comjielled it to pause. With foam and with dust tbe black charger was gray ; By the flash of his eye, and his red nostrils' llay, He seemed to the wbole great arniy to say : '■I have bronjiht Slieridí n al. the way Froin Winchester down to save the day t " Hurrab, burrab, for Sberidan! Hui rab, hurrah, for horse and man! And wbun tboir statues are placed on high Under the dome of the Union sky, Tlie American soldiers' Temple of Fame, There with ihe glorious General's name Be it said in letiers both bold and bright : 'Hcre is tbe steed tbat saved tbe day By carrying Sberidan iuto the figbt, Fruiu A'iuchester - twenty miles away ! "