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Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg image
Parent Issue
Day
9
Month
January
Year
1863
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Eighteen hundred and sixty-lwo- ■ ïhat is the number of wounded meil Wlio, if the telegraph's tale be trué, Reached Washington city yesterday e'en. And it is but ahandful, the telegrams add, ïo those who are coming by boats and by Weary and wounded, dyiug and sad: ' [cara; Covered - but only in front - with scars. Some are wounded by Minie shot, Others are torn by the hissing shell, As il buist upon Uicni as fierce and as hot As a demon spawned in a traitor's hcH. Some are pierced by the sharp bayonet, Others are crushed by the horses' lioof; Or tril 'neath the shower of irpn which met ÏIu'iu as hail beats down on an open roof. Shall I#ell what they did to meet this fatei Why was this living death their doom- Why did they fall to this piteous state 'Neath the rifles crack and the cannon's boom'! Orders arrived, and the river they orossed- Built the bridge in the enemy's face - No matter how niany were shot and lost, And floated- sad" corpses- away from the place. Orders tlioy heanl and they scaled the lieight. Climbing "right rito the jaws of death ; " Each man grasping hia rille-piece tight - Scarcely pausincr to draw his breattu SuddeD ilashed on them a sheet of fíame From bidden fence and from ambuscade;A moment more - (they say tbis is fame) - A thousand dead nren on the grass were laid. Fifteen thousand in wounded and killed, At least, is "our loss" the newspapers say, This loss to our army must surely be filled Against another great battle da;-. "Our loss!" "Those oss'! Lot demagogues say That the Cabinet, President all are in wrong : W'nat do the orphans and widows pray"! What is the burden of their sad song"! 'Tis their loss ! But the tears in their weeping eyes Hide Cabinet, President, Generáis - all; And they only can see a cold forni that lies On the hillside slope, by that fatal wall. They cannot discrimínate men or means - Tiiey only deniand that this blundering cease, In their frenzied grief they would end such . scènes, Thoiigh that end be- even with traitors - peace. Is Thy face from Thy people tunied. Oh! God? Is Thy arm or the Nation no longer st rang ! We cry "from our homes- the dead cry from the sod, IIow lom oh! our glorious God' how longi