I woke up at 3:45AM from a sound sleep with this in my head The Ballad of the 32 and 45 I threw the covers aside last night, the pillows flying far and wide. It came to me in my dreams, to write, and do it before the dawns new lite the ballad of the 32 and 45. I heard that Rebel Yell , heard it ring loud and High, and I knew as the end of this grows nigh, a thousand men or so will die. I heard the Rebel Yell, echo cross the field I heard it high and long, the fear we felt was real. Bragg took us to Kaintuck to fight the Yankee Foe, At Perryville that day, we lost three thousand men or mo. We stopped at that little creek to drink, but it had gone dry, So we charged with Cleburne, up the hill to die. We screamed and ran like crazy men that day, and the yanks were scared and ran away. And then we left, after winning fair and square, We marched back south, and breathed the Tennessee Air. Ol Bragg said boys lets get away, before the Yanks come back, Well fight another day. We missed Stones River, for most of the fight, As New Years Day dawned bright We heard that sound of battle, We felt our brothers plight. We marched on down in Tennessee, to Tullahoma Town Where Lowery taught us soldiering, we got our drilling down. We learned to move like soldiers, when the battle grew hot, We could move our forces, and cover any spot. In mid September, that same year of 63, We had a chance to use that training, my brothers and me. At Chickamauga Creek, at a open field we stood. The yanks were waiting, just at the edge of the wood. In numbers they stood waiting, with rifle poised to fire. at command, we went forward, at double quick time, then sounds of muskets, and screams filled the air. bullets and cannister and dying men, but boys, we did fine. when we reached those woods, the enemy twerent there, I felt a bullets pain that day, it didnt stop my run, I was better off that day, than most the others had done. We drove those Yanks to Chattanooga, and across the Tenn. For two months we sat and watched them, and half starved and weak, You see we won that terrible battle, but we had nothing left to eat. We scavanged, and looked and managed to survive. Then it came November and the Yanks came alive. They came at us, up high on that ridge, and we stood tall, we gave them lots of hell, that day in early fall. Hooker, whipped the 34th, early on the 24th, he captured most those boys and sent them way up North. Then next he turned his eyes on us, it put us all on edge, and we fought the bloody battle of Missionary Ridge. We fought our way down South, into Dixies land, we tried to hold them back, we lost many a man. We almost had them at Tunnel hill, again at Rocky Face, But Johnston wouldnt stand and fight, for blood he had no taste. At Dalton, we waited the cold winter out. We were cold and barefoot, and hungry, morale was low, no doubt. We skirmished and fought the summer of 64, but before the summer had ended we were at Atlantas door we fought battles, many, some we lost and some we won, Our numbers were low, our ranks died like men in the GA Sun! On Kennesaw Hill, we made a grand stand, we dug in and waited for the killing to begin. It didnt take long for the Yankees to mass, for all that time, they were right on our Ass. They charged up that hill, and the killing began, they never could reach us, not nary a man. Finally Col. Martin stood up and yelled Cease Fire Yanks your wounded are burning, their needs are dire. So for two hours, there was no war, the wounded were taken to the rear of the line, and men came together, and shared peacefully the time. Yanks traded whiskey to Rebs tobacc, We shared this moment and forgot about Strife. We shared pictures of children and each spoke of our wife. But soon it was over, and we went back to their fight, I still wonder today, why we thought it was right. Hood took his men, As Atlanta was burned and away from GA. to Tennesse, he turned He said, By God, they won this one, do not dismay, We will take Nashville, there will be Hell to Pay So into the rain and the sleet, and cold we did walk. Wornout, and ragged, to tired to talk. WE marched across Alabama, to the Tennessees shore. Barefoot, half frozen, and eating horse corn, still willing to fight, to die, our brothers to mourn. We got tangled and confused at Columbia Pike, and let the Yankees slip by in the night. We fought at Spring Hill in South Tennessee, then late afternoon, there came a sight to see. A field in front, fully two miles across, no cover in sight. Waiting to greet us, behind breastworks built tight. The Yanks there waited near 30,000 of them. We Rebs started the march, bands playing their Hymm. Banners unfurled we headed to fight. It was 5PM, it would last into night. The smoke from the rockets, curled into the air, brave men came forward, and brave men waited there. At 9:30 at night, it mostly all done, bodies lay sleeping entwined as one, blood ran freely, wounded crying in the dark, some say it was a sound that would break any heart. I cant go on and say much more, After freezing and starving in Nashville, most all footsore, we marched to Mississippi, our heads held low, the blood in our footsteps, coloring the snow. we tried once again to rejoin the fight, we went to help Lee, to aid in his plight, but the cause was lost, not for fault of whim It simply was written in the words of the hymm, A house divided cannot long stand, So we gave up their rifles, and came back to our land. In North Carolina, at little Durham Station, we gave our word to support our nation. We returned home to communities wasted and torn, but we started to build, and new babies were born. Because we did this, our children, you are here, and live in a land strong to have fear. When you hear someone say, Our country wont last Remind them of us, learn from the past. Larry Murley 10/15/2014
Posted on: Wed, 15 Oct 2014 11:02:37 +0000
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