Show SHERIDAN'S RIDE Up from the South at break of day Bringing to Winchester fresh dismay dismay dis dis- may The affrighted air with a shudder shudder shudder der bore Like a herald in haste to the chie chieftains chieftain's tain's door The terrible grumble and rumble rumble rumble rum rum- ble and roar Telling the battle was on once more And Sheridan twenty m miles les away And wider still sUU those billows of war Thundered along the horizons horizon's bar And louder yet into Winchester rolled I The roar of that red sea uncontrolled uncontrolled uncontrolled trolled Making the blood of the listener cold As he thought of the stake in that fiery fray And Sheridan twenty miles away But there is a road from Winchester Winchester Winchester Win Win- chester town A good broad highway leading down And there through the flush of the morning light A steed as black as the steeds of night Was seen to pass as with eagle cagle flight As if he knew the terrible need He stretched away with his utmost utmost utmost ut ut- most speed Hills rose and fell but his heart was gay With Sheridan fifteen miles' miles away Still sprung from those swift hoofs thundering South The dust like smoke from a cannons cannon's cannons cannon's cannons cannon's can can- non's mouth Or the tra trail l of a comet sweeping faster and faster Foreboding to traitors the doom of disaster x The heart of the steed and the heart of the master Were beating like prisoners assaulting assaulting as as- their walls Impatient to be where the battlefield battlefield battlefield battle battle- field calls Every nerve of the charger was waa strained to full play With Sheridan only ten miles away J 1 v 5 t k Ill it y I a- a Under his spurning feet the road Like an Alpine river flowed And the landscape sped away behind behind behind be be- hind Like an ocean flying before the wind And the steed like a bark fed with furnace ire Swept on with his wild eye full of fire But lo he is nearing his hearts heart's desire He is snuffing the smoke of the roaring fray With Sheridan only five miles milesa a away way The first that the General saw were the groups Of stragglers and then the retreating retreating retreating re re- re- re treating troops What was done what to do a glance told him both Then striking his spurs with a terrible oath th He dashed down the line mid a aa a storm of And the wave of retreat checked its course there because The sight of the master compelled compelled compelled com com- it to pause With foam and with dust the black charger was gray By the flash of his eye and the red nostrils nostril's play He seemed to the whole great army to say I have brought you Sheridan all the way From Winchester down to save the day Hurrah hurrah for Sheridan Hurrah hurrah for horse and man And when their statues are placed on high Under the dome of the Union sky The American soldiers' soldiers Temple of Fame There with the glorious Generals General's name Be it said in letters both bold and bright Here is the steed that saved the day By carrying Sheridan into the 5 0 fight From Winchester twenty miles away away l Thomas Buchanan Read |