 | Contributions to a Ballad History of England and the States Sprung from Her |  |
108
INKERMANN.
November 5th, 1854.
When we went up the hills of the Alma,
Through their hell-fire of shell and of shot,
We did a good day's work that morning,
And, boys, a good drubbing they got;
But though they'll remember September,
They'll think of it, lads, but as play
To the work of this fifth of November,
And the drubbing they got, lads, to-day.
Then a sigh for all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
Through their hell-fire of shell and of shot,
We did a good day's work that morning,
And, boys, a good drubbing they got;
But though they'll remember September,
They'll think of it, lads, but as play
To the work of this fifth of November,
And the drubbing they got, lads, to-day.
Then a sigh for all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
Wet and weary we dragged from the trenches,
And dark lay the camp, boys, and still;
Thick as night lay the mist in the valley,
And thickly it clung to the hill;
But little we thought what 'twas hiding
As we turned into slumber, how deep!
And little we knew what the roar meant
That startled us soon, lads, from sleep!
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
And dark lay the camp, boys, and still;
Thick as night lay the mist in the valley,
And thickly it clung to the hill;
But little we thought what 'twas hiding
As we turned into slumber, how deep!
And little we knew what the roar meant
That startled us soon, lads, from sleep!
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
Below they had mustered their thousands;
The night and the fog hid them well;
Before we could see, they were on us
With shot and with thrust and with yell;
They swept back our pickets, and yelling,
Right up straight upon us they come;
Fifty thousand they come to our seven,
Mad-drunk with religion and rum.
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they soon come again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
The night and the fog hid them well;
Before we could see, they were on us
With shot and with thrust and with yell;
109
Right up straight upon us they come;
Fifty thousand they come to our seven,
Mad-drunk with religion and rum.
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they soon come again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
Little time, lads, they gave us for forming;
“Right forward—quick step,” was the word;
And ere well awake, we were at it
With Minie, and bayonet, and sword;
Up they come; up the hill press their masses;
With shouts and with volleys we close,
Hacking on—thrusting on, though we barely
Could tell, through the fog, who were foes.
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
“Right forward—quick step,” was the word;
And ere well awake, we were at it
With Minie, and bayonet, and sword;
Up they come; up the hill press their masses;
With shouts and with volleys we close,
Hacking on—thrusting on, though we barely
Could tell, through the fog, who were foes.
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
We were but a handful to them, boys,
But not a heart 'mongst us all sank,
As we dashed at their grey-coated columns
That swept round us front, lads, and flank;
If they could not well see us, I swear, men,
Our ranks they could hear well and feel,
As we swept them down, volley by volley,
And gave them their fill of the steel.
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
But not a heart 'mongst us all sank,
As we dashed at their grey-coated columns
That swept round us front, lads, and flank;
If they could not well see us, I swear, men,
Our ranks they could hear well and feel,
As we swept them down, volley by volley,
And gave them their fill of the steel.
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
110
But tough work it was you may know, lads;
Driven down, still they swarmed up again;
For hours they came on still and on, lads,
Though we heaped up the hill with their slain;
'Twas a hell upon earth there that morning,
With oaths, and with yells, and with groans,
As we fought till our last charge was gone, boys,
And then with clubbed rifles and stones.
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
Driven down, still they swarmed up again;
For hours they came on still and on, lads,
Though we heaped up the hill with their slain;
'Twas a hell upon earth there that morning,
With oaths, and with yells, and with groans,
As we fought till our last charge was gone, boys,
And then with clubbed rifles and stones.
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
'Twas a sight to shake stout hearts, I tell you,
Their rush on our unarmed redoubt;
Six times there they fought their way in, boys;
Six times there we tumbled them out;
But what could we do 'gainst their numbers?
Surrounded and falling, how fast!
Overpowered, worn out, but still fighting,
Forced back there, we gave ground at last;
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
Their rush on our unarmed redoubt;
Six times there they fought their way in, boys;
Six times there we tumbled them out;
But what could we do 'gainst their numbers?
Surrounded and falling, how fast!
Overpowered, worn out, but still fighting,
Forced back there, we gave ground at last;
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
Back, foot by foot, fighting, they bore us,
And half, all was over, we feared,
When the cry rose, “the French, the French come, boys,
“The Red-caps” then, God! how we cheered!
And on at a run came their Zouaves;
A shout, and on with them we go;
The Russians are flung from the hill-top;
The day is our own, well we know;
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
And half, all was over, we feared,
When the cry rose, “the French, the French come, boys,
“The Red-caps” then, God! how we cheered!
And on at a run came their Zouaves;
A shout, and on with them we go;
The Russians are flung from the hill-top;
The day is our own, well we know;
111
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
But that day was a day to remember;
And all who came safe through that strife,
Well that night might thank heaven that watched o'er them
And brought them safe through it with life;
Yes, we well might thank heaven that night, lads,
As on that red hill-top we stood,
That, safe there, the day was our own, boys,
Though bought, lads, with England's best blood!
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
And all who came safe through that strife,
Well that night might thank heaven that watched o'er them
And brought them safe through it with life;
Yes, we well might thank heaven that night, lads,
As on that red hill-top we stood,
That, safe there, the day was our own, boys,
Though bought, lads, with England's best blood!
Give a sigh to all those who are gone, boys,
But fill up, all you who remain;
We'll drink, “May they come soon again, boys,
That soon we may drub them again!”
| Contributions to a Ballad History of England and the States Sprung from Her | |