“Our camp-fire shone bright on the mountains That frowned on the river below, While we stood by our guns in the morning And eagerly watched for the foe; When a rider came out from the darkness, That hung over mountain and tree, And shouted “boys up and be ready, For Sherman will march to the Sea.”
Then cheer upon cheer, for bold Sherman Went up from each valley and glen, And the bugles re-echoed the music That came from the lips of the men; For we knew that the Stars on our banner More bright in their splendor would be, And that blessings from North-land would greet us When Sherman marched down to the sea.
Then forward, boys, forward to battle We marched on our wearisome way, And we stormed the wild hills of Resaca God bless those who fell on that day: Then Kenesaw, dark in its glory, Frowned down on the flag of the free; But the East and the West bore our standards, And Sherman marched on to the sea.
Still onward we pressed, till our banner Swept out from Atlanta’s grim walls, And the blood of the patriot dampened The soil where the traitor flag falls: But we paused not to weep for the fallen, Who slept by each river and tree, Yet we twined them a wreath of the laurel As Sherman marched down to the sea.
Oh, proud was our army that morning, That stood where the pine proudly towers, When Sherman said, “boys you are weary; This day fair Savannah is ours!” Then sang we a song for our chieftain, That echoed o’er river and lea, And the stars in our banner grew brighter When Sherman marched down to the sea.”
“HAMLET. I have of late lost all my mirth, foregone all custom of exercises; and, indeed, it goes so heavily with my disposition, that this goodly frame, the earth, seems to me a sterile promontory; this most excellent canopy, the air, look you,—this brave o’er hanging firmament, this majestical roof fretted with golden fire, why, it appears no other thing to me than a foul and pestilent congregation of vapors.”
The great influx of prisoners during the month of May and early part of June, from the armies of Sherman and Meade, increased our numbers to more than thirty thousand prisoners. These were crowded upon the small space of twelve acres, or more than two thousand five hundred men to the acre. This would allow thirty-one square feet to each man, or a piece of ground five feet by six feet, on which to build his tent and perform all the acts and offices of life. Indeed we were crowded in so thickly that it was impossible for the prison officials to find room for us to “fall in” for roll call, for more than three weeks.