Forth on the fatal morn,
Proud as the waves of Horn
Rode the cavalier;
Followed by gallant men,
Far in a rocky glen
To disappear.
"Halt!" bands of Sioux are seen
O'er all the dark ravine,
Crouched in numbers vast;
"Halt!" and a hush, "Prepare!"
"Charge!" and the very air
Starts at the blast.
Long waves of horsemen break,
And hoofy thunders wake
On the steep glen sides.
Back roll the columns brave,
Back in a smoky grave,
Each hero rides.
"Ready!" their chieftain cries,
Steady his eagle eyes
Sweep the dark ground o'er.
Slowly the lines re-form,
Slowly returns the storm,
Yet dreadful more.
"Charge!" is the proud command,
Onward the daring band
Like a torrent dash;
On heaving gorges long,
On groaning rocks among,
With tempest crash.
Up from their ferny beds
Dart fields of pluming heads,
As if hideous earth,
Out of her rocky womb,
Out of an army's tomb,
Doth give them birth.
"Rally!" but once is heard,
"Rally!" and not a word,
The brave boys rallying, speak.
Lightnings of valiant steel
Flash fast; the columns reel,
Bend — reel and break!
"Stand!" cries their Custar proud,
"Stand!" in the battle cloud
Echoes high around.
Answers the sabre's stroke,
Tho' in black waves of smoke
His fair form's drown'd.
Firece hordes of painted braves
Melt down, for well behave
Horse and cavalier:
As round their chief they fall,
Cheered by his clarion call,
From front to rear.
No more their leader calls,
Pierced 'mid his men he falls,
But sinks breathing, "Stand!"
And where the hero lies,
Each soldier till he dies,
Fights hand to hand.
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Comments
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I disagree with suseann, I do not feel this is 'one-sided' at all, it isn't taking sides, it's a perception and I feel this is an account of what took place historically, though it may vary in actual events and conclusions.
When I was growing up, the school books painted the U.S. soldiers and Custar as being heroic men, and though I'd contend perhaps Custar's men may have acted in a heroic manner and perhaps weren't as stupefied as to what was really going on, why Custar's intentions were what they were, Custar indeed was not heroic though he's been painted that way since that action took place.
Custar was thinking of only himself and thus that got him killed and I feel he put his men in harms way and thus was not fit to be a Commander. He should've went down in the history books as a coward and disgrace to his uniform, he may have had good campaigns during the Civil War but what he did that day was pathetic and dishonorable.
And he and his men paid the price.
This is a great piece, from reading it aloud, and from beginning to end there's much angst, which to me, puts the reader right there in the battle.
A great piece that Whitman has written here.
Edited on Mar 25, 2:31 p.m. because ''. -
This was written in the thought that was portrayed that Custer was actually fighting through most of this battle. The truth was never let out, even though it was written in 1907, until the seventies that he was actually one of the first killed in that battle. A number of the indian survivors recalled seeing him fall on the first wave, and some even put him as the third man they seen fall.
Custer, by disobeying orders to make himself look good for the next Presidential Elections, took his men into a suicidal attack that wiped out most of his troops, and accomplishing nothing.
This was a leader that earned no respect for his actions, as he was too reckless with the lives of his troops, and caused many needless deaths.
A more fitting tribute to him would be in one of Johnny Horton's songs about Jim Bridger, where he says; "Listen yellow hair, talk to the chiefs, but Custer didn't, and in Little Big Horn Custer fell".
Well done poem. -
Very impressave write,but a wee bit one sided.I do though understand ,from the 7th calvery's point of view.Taking orders and this includes Capt. Custer.An order given-must be carried out to the very best of one's ability.
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