The Greensborough Patriot

Aug. 14, 1862

Page 4

From the Richmond Enquirer.

VICKSBURG.

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By Maurice De Bell.

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Cheers for the glorious city,

Send them up with a will—

Bleeding, battered, beleauguered,

Standing triumphant still!

Toiling the foes around her,

Tearing the shot through her breast,

Dauntless, daring, defiant,

Victory still on her crest!

 

Clad in their mail of iron,

Cluster the fleets of the foe,

Hurling their bolts of thunder

In from above, below!

Boldly she meets their terrors;

Laughing their rage to scorn,

Leaning upon her fearless ones.

Led by her brave Van Dorn.

 

Solid with the smoke of battle,

Wearied with panting breath—

Still to Vandals speaking:

“You conquer me only in death.”

Queen in her robes of sack cloth,

Deep with her dear blood dyed!

Boadicea of cities,

Pallas in power and in pride!

 

Glorious, peerless, majestic!

Yet they may force thee to fall;

Beat to the ground thy turrets,

Level to earth thy wall;

Lay thy fair temples in ashes,

Thy guns to the dust strike down;

Wrest from thy hands the scepter,

Tear from thy brows the crown.

 

But thou hast still a sceptre,

They never may from thee tear,

The power of thy brave example,

And the laurels thy brows will wear.

Whene’er with the praises of heroes

The minstrels notes may swell,

O’ the tuneful tongue of the poet

Of chivalric deeds shall tell.

 

Then cheers for the glorious city.

Of the warlike might and mein,

Shaken, striken, surrounded.

Bearing her like a Queen!

Bleeding, battered, beleagured,

Strong in her tameless will,

Dauntless, deathless, defiant,

Standing triumphant still!