THE VOLUNTEER.—WAR SONG. 83

America, this is thy chance-now at length-
Of crushing while crouching to thee -

Those Rebels and Slaveholders

strength,

slaves to thy

The curse and contempt of the Free!

THE VOLUNTEER.

HARD by the porch of the village church,

A dusty traveller halts awhile to rest;

His head droops tired down upon his breast, But the word of prayer wakes new life there.

"God bless the brave, who go to save

Our country, in her dark, dread hour of danger!" The good man's voice was comfort to the stranger. Duty wipes away a tear as he hurries to the war.

WAR SONG.

DEDICATED TO THE KENTUCKY STATE GUARD.

CHEER, boys, cheer, we'll march away to battle, Cheer, boys, cheer, for our sweethearts and our wives;

Cheer, boys, cheer, we'll nobly do our duty, And give to Kentucky our hearts, our arms, our lives.

Bring forth the flag, Kentucky's noble standard; Wave it on high till the winds shake each fold out;

Proudly it floats, nobly waving in the vanguard : Then cheer, boys, cheer, with a lusty, long, bold shout.

Cheer, boys, cheer, etc.

But though we march with heads all lowly bending, Let us implore a blessing from on high;

Our cause is just, the Right from Wrong defending, And the God of battles will listen to our cry. Cheer, boys, cheer, etc.

Though to our homes we never may return,
Ne'er press again our loved ones in our arms,
O er our lone graves their faithful hearts will mourn:
Then cheer up, boys, cheer, such death hath no
alarms.

Cheer, boys, cheer, etc.

WE

BETHEL.

BY A. J. H. DUGANNE.

E mustered at midnight, in darkness we formed,

And the whisper went round of a fort to be

stormed;

But no drum-beat had called us, no trumpet we

heard,

And no voice of command, but our Colonel's low

word,

"Column! Forward!"

And out, through the mist and the murk of the

morn,

From the beaches of Hampton our barges were

borne ;

And we heard not a sound, save the sweep of the

oar,

Till the word of our Colonel came up from the shore,

"Column! Forward!"

With hearts bounding bravely, and eyes all alight, As ye dance to soft music, so trod we that

night;

Through the aisles of the greenwood, with vines overarched,

Tossing dew-drops, like gems, from our feet, as we

marched,

"Column! Forward!"

As

ye

dance with the damsels, to viol and flute, So we skipped from the shadows, and mocked their

pursuit ;

But the soft zephyrs chased us, with scents of the

morn,

As we passed by the hay-fields and green waving

corn,

"Column! Forward!"

For the leaves were all laden with fragrance of

June,

And the flowers and the foliage with sweets were

in tune;

And the air was so calm, and the forest so dumb, That we heard our own heart-beats, like taps of a drum,

"Column! Forward!"

Till the lull of the lowlands was stirred by a breeze, And the buskins of Morn brushed the tops of the

trees,

And the glintings of glory that slid from her track By the sheen of our rifles were gayly flung back, "Column! Forward!"

And the woodlands grew purple with sunshiny mist,

And the blue-crested hill-tops with rose-light were

kissed,

And the earth gave her prayers to the sun in per

fumes,

Till we marched as through gardens, and trampled on blooms,

"Column! Forward!"

Ay! trampled on blossoms, and seared the sweet

breath

Of the green-wood with low-brooding vapors of

death;

O'er the flowers and the corn we were borne like a

And

blast, away

to the forefront of battle we passed, "Column!

Forward!"

For the cannon's hoarse thunder roared out from

the glades,

And the sun was like lightning on banners and

blades,