University of Virginia Library

“They are coming, they are coming,
Coming are the S. of V's!
See them coming, fifing, drumming,
With Old Glory to the breeze!
Help me to that open window,
Let me breathe that martial air.
Quick, dear! help me to the window,
Just to see those bayonets glare!
Just so I can cheer their coming,
See their faces lit so bright,
Just to hear that same old drumming
That made me so bravely fight.
Quick, I say! O help me darling!
See them! look! they counter all!
There! that's right! God bless you, darling!
Now they see me! Shall I call?
Ay, there boys, God bless your calling!
I was there, all through the war,
And I fell, amid the falling,
Wounded; I'm a G. A. R.
I was there, my boys, all through it;
I fought in the two Bull Runs,
Fought and bled as shells the air split,
Fought with boys for rebel guns.
I was with the great Phil Sheridan,
Right among the bursting shells,
When he bravely raised our burden,
Earth seemed like a hundred hells!
Though I'm crippled, I can see you,
See your faces young and firm,
See you clad in U. S. true blue;
Boys from duty never turn.
Fight beneath that starry ensign,
As your daddies have before.
Stand for union or for war time,
Till we meet on heaven's shore.
For, dear boys, we'll soon be yonder,
And to you remains the trust
To remind them of the soldier
Who crushed slavery to the dust.”

“Yes, we will!” came back the answer
From the throats of S. of V's,
“Yes, we will!” rang loud the answer
On the noon-day's silent breeze.
Out of sight, on down the roadway,
Marched the youthful soldier boys,
To the fifing at the noon-day,
'Mid its clamor and its joys.
Sadly standing soldier saw them,
Watched the flag he loved so well,
Saw them vanish as he watched them,
Then he whispered: “All is well.”
Then in chair he went to napping,
Near beside the open door,
Crippled soldier, dreaming, napping,
Dreamed of battlefields once more—
Saw the shelling and the fighting,
Heard the beating of the drum,
Saw the cannon and the sighting,
Fought beside his same old chum,
Heard the cheering—he was dreaming—
Felt his musket's old recoil,
Just as natural it was seeming
As in days on Southern soil.
Sleep thou on, O crippled soldier,
Dream thou of those days gone by,
Dream thou of thy comrades, soldier;
You will meet them far on high.