Page:Battle-Pieces and Aspects of the War.djvu/219



They rode till eve. Then on a farm

That lay along a hill-side green,

Bivouacked. Fires were made, and then

Coffee was boiled; a cow was coaxed

And killed, and savory roasts were seen;

And under the lee of a cattle-pen

The guard supped freely with Mosby's men.

The ball was bandied to and fro;

Hits were given and hits were met;

"Chickamauga, Feds—take off your hat"

"But the Fight in the Clouds repaid you, Rebs"

"Forgotten about Manassas yet"

Chatting and chaffing, and tit for tat,

Mosby's clan with the troopers sat.

"Here comes the moon!" a captive cried;

"A song! what say? Archy, my lad"

Hailing are still one of the clan

(A boyish face with girlish hair),

"Give us that thing poor Pansy made

Last Year." He brightened, and began;

And this was the song of Mosby's man: