The Old Continentals
by Guy Humphrey McMaster (1829-1887) |
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In their ragged regimentals
Stood the old
continentals,
Yielding not,
When the grenadiers were
lunging,
And like hail fell the plunging
Cannon-shot;
When the files
Of the isles
From the smoky night
encampment, bore the banner of the rampant
Unicorn,
And grummer, grummer, grummer rolled the roll of the
drummer,
Through the morn!
Then with eyes to the front
all,
And with guns horizontal,
Stood our sires;
And the balls whistled deadly,
And in streams
flashing redly
Blazed the fires;
As the roar
On the
shore,
Swept the strong battle-breakers o'er the
green-sodded acres
Of the plain;
And louder, louder,
louder cracked the black gunpowder,
Cracking amain!
Now like smiths at their forges
Worked the red St.
George's
Cannoneers;
And the "villainous
saltpetre"
Rung a fierce, discordant metre
Round their
ears;
As the swift
Storm-drift,
With hot sweeping
anger, came the horse-guards' clangor
On our flanks.
Then higher, higher, higher burned the old-fashioned fire
Through the ranks!
Then the old-fashioned colonel
Galloped through the white infernal
Powder-cloud;
And
his broad-sword was swinging,
And his brazen throat was
ringing
Trumpet loud.
Then the blue
Bullets flew,
And the trooper-jackets redden at the touch of the leaden
Rifle-breath;
And rounder, rounder, rounder roared the
iron six pounder,
Hurling death! |
By Guy Humphrey McMaster (1829-1887)
Listed May 29, 2012 |
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| Note: The nucleus of the Continental Army
(1775--1783) was the New England force gathered before
Boston, to the command of which Washington had been
appointed two days before the battle of Bunker Hill,
although he arrived too late to take part in that fight. |
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