22. the men of the West.
by Richard Coe.
Men of the West, with stalwart arms,And souls to nature true,
Have won the victories of the day,
That ring the wide world through;
That on the page of history,
In deeds of valor done,
Will e'en outvie the daring high
Of honored Wellington.
Fort Donelson was nobly earned,
Pea Ridge was won full well;
Of Pittsburgh Landing time would fail
The glorious things to tell.
These are the battles, not of boys,
But men of iron will,
Who swore to die or plant on high
The Union banner still.
And then the men who led them on
To triumph in these days,
For them, a people's gratitude,
A nation's loudest praise!
Halleck and Buell, Grant and Smith,
Curtis and Sigel, all
Whose battle-cry is, “Do or die!”
Before your feet we fall!
And oh!
the One who spared their lives
Amid the leaden hail,
If we forget to honor him,
We in our duty fail.
'Twas his right arm that led them on
Through carnage and through death,
His sleepless eye that, from on high,
Beheld their fainting breath.
“Up!
up and at them once again,
Ye sturdy men and bold:
They have profaned my Sabbath-day,
That I ordained of old.”
'Twas as a voice from heaven that spoke,
Ere yet the fight was done;
Each kindling eye was raised on high,
And lo!
the field was won.
Ye glorious peerage of the earth,
Ye greater far than kings,
We crown you victors, one and all,
With gladdest carolings.
Break forth, ye prairies, into song,
Until each mount and glen
'Neath God's blue sky send back the cry
Of nature's noblemen.
