She took three hundred Irishmen And formed her First Battalion. And when the storm of battle sweeps, BOMBARDMENT OF VICKSBURG. DEDICATED WITH RESPECT AND ADMIRATION TO MAJORGENERAL EARL VAN DORN. FOR sixty days and upwards A storm of shell and shot But still we faltered not! "If the noble city perish," Our grand young leader said, For sixty days and upwards The eye of heaven waxed dim; As if the fiends of air Strove to engulf the voice of faith There was wailing in the houses, There was trembling on the marts, While the tempest raged and thundered, BOMBARDMENT OF VICKSBURG. But the Lord, our shield, was with us; And the little children gambolled, As the huge bombs whirled and blazed! To the sports which children love, 307 Thrice mailed in the sweet, instinctive thought, Yet the hailing bolts fell faster Grew the conflict's wild eclipse; But the unseen hands of angels These death-shafts warned aside, Ruled o'er the battle-tide; In the houses ceased the wailing, And through the war-scarred marts COLUMBIA, S. C., August 6, 1862. * It has been stated by one professing to have witnessed the fact. that some weeks after the beginning of this terrific bombardment, not only were ladies seen coolly walking the streets, but that in some parts of the town children were observed at play, only interrupting their sports to gaze and listen at the bursting shells. A SOUTHERN SCENE. “O MAMMY! have you heard the news?” Thus spake a Southern child, As in the nurse's aged face She upward glanced and smiled. "What news you mean, my little one? It must be mighty fine To make my darling's face so red, 66 Her sunny blue eyes shine." Why, Abram Lincoln, don't you know, The Yankee President, Whose ugly picture once we saw, แ When up to town we went, "Well, he is going to free you all, And you'll be dressed in silk and gold, "A gilded coach shall carry you The eager speaker paused for breath, "My little missus, stop and res', Jes' look up dere, and tell me what A SOUTHERN SCENE. "You sees old mammy's wrinkly face, And underneath her handkerchief "My darlin's face is red and white, แ "My chile, who made dis difference 'Twixt mammy and 'twixt you ? You reads the dear Lord's blessed book, And you can tell me true. "De dear Lord said it must be so; And, honey, I for one, Wid tankful heart will always say, His holy will be done. "I tanks mas' Linkum all de same, But when I wants for free, I'll ask de Lord of glory, Not poor buckra man like he. "And as for gilded carriages, My massa's coach, what carries him, 66 And, honey, when your mammy wants To change her homespun dress, She'll pray like dear old missus, 66 My work's been done dis many a day, 309 A waitin' for the Master's call, "And when at las' de time 's done come, Your own dear mother's soff white hand "De dear Lord Jesus soon will call "And at His feet I shall lie down, "Come, little missus, say your prayers; The debil knows who b'longs to him, BEYOND THE POTOMAC. BY PAUL H. HAYNE.* THEY slept on the fields which their valor had won! * This piece was originally published in the Richmond Whig at the time of "Stonewall" Jackson's last raid into Maryland. |