Soldier Songs and Love Songs

CUSTER.

Foiled on the field with his dead boys around him, All waiting for Earth to recover her own, Fortune hath missed him, but Glory hath found him, While fighting a thousand fierce foemen alone.

Custer's the right wing, the left and the center, Himself is his only reserve and supply. This is a battle for Spartans to enter, Where One makes an army to conquer or die.

Straight on his steed doth he meet the grim battle, The red line of danger grows deadly and large, Loud from the hills rings the rifleman's rattle, But Custer is ready, so forward and charge!

Firing with left hand, and fencing with right, The reins in his teeth, like a handless young Hun, What is his fate in the terrible fight? The thousands hath slain him, yet Custer hath won.

His foemen still seek him in terror and wonder, Alive in the tempest that darkens the vale; His charge they still fear in the echoing thunder, His sword in the lightning, his voice in the gale.

THE AMERICAN GIRL.

The maid for man to love, All other forms above, Is she whose home adorns the loam of this fair land of mine: American in sire, She's born of love and fire, And dominates the heart of man as by a right divine.

By rhyming swain pursued, She meets the puling dude, Whose hopes to win are centered in his pale Platonic plan; American in heart, She spurns his petty part, Then, speeds him to the army mess to prove himself a man.

With tact burned in the bone, She stands herself, alone, The peer of peers of ancient years, for highest functions fit; American in head Who woos her, she may wed, If he hath grace, and wit, and worth, and sense, and soul and grit.

Alive, alert and sweet, In rounded poise, complete, Come any day what will or may, she meets the world at par; American in soul, She brooks no man's control, But brings to one a crystal love as stainless as a star.

Who wins, she weds, retains, She lives, she loves, she reigns Through home and hall, and over all the sovereign of the scene; American in dower, She knows her native power, And holds the heart of him she loves, a Woman and a Queen.

THE GOOD SHIP "OHIO."

Swift o'er the lee when the wind flies free, Follows the ship "Ohio," With skies o'ercast she bends to the blast, Like a billowy bird she can fly, O, And she'll leave all behind in a whispering wind As soft as a maiden's sigh, O. Or when o'er the Lakes the storm-cloud breaks, And the waves scoop their murderous hollow, While the weaker ship to its mooring must slip And safe in a harbor wallow, In the front of the storm she fills her white form, And the demons of danger follow.

O for the life 'mid the storm and the strife Of sailor and storm and billow! Far be my bed from the lubberly dead That sleep near the wailing willow, But give me the grave of the mutinous wave With its heaving and whistling pillow. Down from the skies look the spectral eyes Of our kelpie, sprite and bewailer, And gathering in crowds by the shivering shrouds, They croon while our cheeks grow paler, And they sing as they sweep o'er the clamorous deep: "We love the hot heart of a sailor!"

THE AMERICAN GIRLS.

Yes! The land we love Is a land of pretty girls, In grand variety; With their many colored eyes And their multi-colored curls, They'll steal thy heart from thee.

If you travel in the North, One will gleam in glory forth, With her blue eyes, O, so blue! And her flash of golden hair Will be flirting in the air, While entrancing all the soul in you. Oho! My Boy! Oho!

Always for your weal and never for your woe, Your little heart will gallop on the go, And it will not give you rest Within your manly breast, Till you land yourself in toto at her toe. Oho! My Boy! Oho!

If you travel in the South, You will find a rosy mouth, And a black eye, O so black! And some strands of raven hair Will purloin your heart just there, And you'll never get the poor thing back. Oho! My Boy! Oho! Etc.

If you travel in the East, Your dear soul will have a feast On a sweet eye, O so sweet! And a most seductive curl Will there give your heart a twirl That will fling you at two queenly feet. Oho! My Boy! Oho! Etc.

If you travel in the West, One shy glance will pierce your breast From a bright eye, O so bright! And an auburn heaven of hair Will so glorify the air, You'll surrender all your soul at sight. Oho! My Boy! Oho! Always for your weal and never for your woe, Your little heart will gallop on the go, And it will not give you rest Within your manly breast, Till you land yourself in toto at her toe. Oho! My Boy! Oho!

Thus, the land we love Is a land of pretty girls, In grand variety; With their many colored eyes And their multi-colored curls, They'll steal thy heart from thee.

THE UNION OATH.

By the Revolution's dead, By their Blood in battle shed, By the Earth that drank their gore, By the Heaven in which they soar, By the Union Stripe and Star, By the God of Righteous War, Swear to conquer, or to die! Swear to conquer, Swear to conquer, Swear to conquer now, or die!

By the Revolution's dead, By their Blood in battle shed, By the Earth that drank their gore, By the Heaven in which they soar, By the Union Stripe and Star, By the God of Righteous War, We will conquer now, or die! We will conquer! We will conquer! We will conquer now, or die!

BETSIE BROWN.

I have loved you all my days, Betsie Brown, And I'll never cease to praise Betsie Brown; Still must I break love's tie, To act a patriot part, But I'll yield thee, as I die, The last throb of my heart, Betsie Brown!

For my country let me die, Betsie Brown, And never grieve nor cry, Betsie Brown, But lay me down to sleep Where my country's tempests rave, Where its mountain moss can creep O'er an humble patriot's grave, Betsie Brown!

And should my boy, with thee, Betsie Brown, By my grave once bend the knee, Betsie Brown, Teach him to bleed or die For his country or his God, Like him whose ashes lie Beneath the loving sod, Betsie Brown!

SWORD OF JEHOVAH.

Sword of Jehovah, swing O'er the world's ravening, Wide on the tempest's wing, Swing far! Swing free! Where the mailed hand is set, Braced to the bayonet, Bloody and warm and wet, Swing far! Swing free!

Strike where the sordid great Revel in royal state, Liberty desolate, Strike far! Strike free! Where the King's coursers champ, Where the mailed millions tramp, Ringed round the tyrant's camp, Strike far! Strike free!

Fall where the Kaiser stands, Guarded by gory bands, Known by their bloody hands, Fall far! Fall free! Till the last Despots die, Till the Christ, lifted high, Consummates Destiny, Fall far! Fall free!

BLACK EYES.

The Blue Eye will do if the courting is through And the way of the marriage is sunny, And it helps in the fun till the sweet life is done If the girl brings a mint of good money. But when aft or before the good parson's front door, With calm or a storm on the track; For Love red, red hot, with the ducats or not, There is never an eye like the Black.

The Hazel is true to you all the way through, And it burns with a light warm and steady; Only if it is Fred that she has in her head, It is burning for no one but Freddie. But the Black Eye will veer and stake kingdoms to spear Whatever it likes on the track, And as a love-lance to its lord in the dance There is never an eye like the Black.

Here then is good health and without or with wealth To the deep raven eye of my charmer! It's a heavenly spell when it loves very well, Only when it does not it is warmer. And it's little I care, only so I get there, Whichever I find on the track, For Heaven or Hell in its magical spell There is never an eye like the Black.

THE AMERICAN CA IRA.

With a sullen, setting Sun, It will come! With the days of Despots done, It will come! With a sullen, setting Sun, With the days of Despots done, With the wrath of God begun, It will come! It will come!