856. Carmen Bellicosum by Guy Humphreys McMaster. Stedman, Edmund Clarence, ed. 1900. An American Anthology, 1787-1900

Edmund Clarence Stedman, ed. (1833–1908). An American Anthology, 1787–1900. 1900.

856. Carmen Bellicosum

By Guy Humphreys McMaster


IN their ragged regimentals,
Stood the old Continentals,
Yielding not,
While the grenadiers were lunging,
And like hail fell the plunging	5
Cannon-shot;
When the files
Of the isles,
From the smoky night-encampment, bore the banner of the rampant
Unicorn;	10
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;	15
While the balls whistled deadly,
And in streams flashing redly
Blazed the fires:
As the roar
On the shore	20
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	25
Worked the red St. George’s
Cannoneers,
And the villainous saltpetre
Rang a fierce, discordant metre
Round our ears:	30
As the swift
Storm-drift,
With hot sweeping anger, came the horseguards’ clangor
On our flanks.
Then higher, higher, higher, burned the old-fashioned fire	35
Through the ranks!

Then the bare-headed Colonel
Galloped through the white infernal
Powder-cloud;
And his broadsword was swinging,	40
And his brazen throat was ringing
Trumpet-loud;
Then the blue
Bullets flew,
And the trooper-jackets redden at the touch of the leaden	45
Rifle-breath;
And rounder, rounder, rounder, roared the iron six-pounder,
Hurling death!