Pickett's Charge - pipTalk Forums

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John Yaws
Senior Member

since 1999-10-09

Posts 860
Texas

0 posted 1999-11-25 02:23 AM

Hot! My God, the day was hot-
Our throats were caked with dust-
We knew that once we started out-
To take the hill- we must.
Like burnished steel, without a cloud-
The perfect summer sky-
Arched above our sweating heads-
That third day of July.
General Pickett drew his sword-
And spun it in the air-
Cried, "Take the military crest-
I'll see yall boys up there!"
Reynolds died the day before-
To give the Yanks a blow-
They had numbers and position
On us down here below.
Almost a mile of grassy plain-
Before our army lay-
The flower of the South land-
Would be cut down today.
The cannon flamed and still we charged
A fence, a wall of stone-
Each foot of ground was bought with blood
And some of it my own.
We fell by scores, then hundreds-
A rousing rebel yell-
Chilled the Yankee gunners-
As valiant Rebels fell.
The saddest part of all that day-
Which most forgot, I guess-
Was not the fact we charged and failed-
We reached the sought for crest-
But once attained we could not hold-
Our number too depleted-
So back across that tract of Hell-
We once again retreated.
Brave Pickett wept a sea of tears-
To see his unit slain-
And though he lived to fight again
He never was the same.
Of all the costly foolish feats-
Which history paints large-
There's not a one to quite compare-
With Pickett's futile charge.

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Live large, people!
~GS~
http://www.geocities.com/montcogunslinger/HomePage.html

Elizabeth Santos
Member Rara Avis

since 1999-11-08

Posts 9269
Pennsylvania

1 posted 1999-11-25 02:34 AM

Wonderful verse! Well told!
Elizabeth

Dusk Treader

Moderator

Senior Member

since 1999-06-18

Posts 1187
St. Paul, MN

2 posted 1999-11-25 03:02 AM

Great poem Gunslinger! I wish history class could be as exciting as this.. hehe, thanks for a wonderful read!

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"'Cause there's a hunger, a longing to escape, from the life I live when I'm awake" - Creed - "Higher"

hoot_owl_rn
Member Patricius

since 1999-07-05

Posts 10750
Glen Hope, PA USA

3 posted 1999-11-25 03:34 PM

Being from PA, I know the history and this brings it home well

poetFemmeFatale
Member Elite

since 1999-07-25

Posts 2646
Arkansas

4 posted 1999-11-26 11:51 PM

I ditto Dusk Treader, in that I wish class would have been HALF this good! I find a wonderful tale in everything you write! And it certainly keeps my attention! (which is hard to do sometimes!)

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~~ Lift your head high - spread your "words" and fly - - poetFemmeFatale

Kevin

Senior Member

since 1999-11-02

Posts 729
Torrington, Ct, Usa

5 posted 1999-11-26 11:55 PM

I envy your ability to capture the view of the common soldier =)

did you fight in that war =)

*wink*

well done

Nan

Administrator

Member Seraphic

since 1999-05-20

Posts 21191
Cape Cod Massachusetts USA

6 posted 1999-11-27 08:45 AM

Documentary poetry - a new genre...

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