THE COLONEL'S SHIELD.

Your picture, slung about my neck

The day we went afield,

Swung out before the trench;

It caught the eye of rank and file,

Who knew “The Colonel's Shield.”

I thrust it back, and with my men

( Our General rode ahead )

We stormed the great redoubt,

As if it were an easy thing,

But rows of us fell dead!

Your picture hanging on my neck,

Up with my men I rushed;

We made an awful charge:

And then my horse, “The Lady Bess,”

Dropped, and — my leg was crushed!

The blood of battle in my veins

( A blue-coat dragged me out ),—

But I remembered you;

I kissed your picture — did you know?

And yelled, “For the redoubt!”

The Twenty-fourth, my scarred old dogs,

Growled back, “He'll put us through;

We'll take him in our arms:

Our picture there — the girl he loves,

Shall see what we can do.”

The foe was silenced — so were we.

I lay upon the field,

Among the Twenty-fourth;

Your picture, shattered on my breast,

Had proved “The Colonel's Shield.”