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PS 1065 
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 1880 
 Copy 1 
 
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 Copurightect by li. Bard, Au(just,i;6SQ. 
 
 The following "Poem, or Bkttlc Song," was composed 
 Ji>Ltlie2ateCaptJ)avi^^ Co. I, l()4th Regiment, 
 
 O. V. I., just after the ba«ie of Winchester, while he 
 was a Sergeant of Co. F, 7th Regiment, (). V. I. 
 
 A brief sketch of the life of Capt. Bard is appended, 
 believing that it will be found interesting in connection 
 with this poem ; 
 
 I. 
 There was a marching of armies, down from the North, 
 Brought forth by a love for the land of their birth ; 
 The foul breath of destruction, by traitors sent forth, 
 Must be met at its ebb, and hurled back on the South. 
 
 II. 
 Boldly they fought, those champions of right, 
 They everywhere kept our fair banner in sight ; 
 Victory on victory their bold efforts crowned, 
 And the sons of the West by their deeds were renowned. 
 
 III. 
 Then Banks from the East, with his legions came forth. 
 To be joined by brave Shields, as they marched to the 
 
 South. 
 Winchester was gained by the flight of the foe, 
 Breathing curses on Yankees as south^-ard they go. 
 
 IV. 
 On March 22d Jackson returned, 
 His heart with rank treason now fiercely burned, 
 Ashby came forward with two thousand men 
 To spy out the force, ere the battle began. 
 
 V. 
 The shells from his cannon came bursting around, 
 Ancf brave Shields left the field with a sore bleeding 
 
 wound ; 
 The night coming soon ended the fight. 
 Both armies impatiently waited for light- 
 
 VI. 
 The booming of cannon on the clear morning air 
 Gave proof to our army that the foe was still there 
 And the strife it grew hot, as the sun climbed the sky. 
 And the turf was oft dyed with the red crimson dye. 
 
 VII. 
 Kimball and Sullivan were mixed in the fight, 
 And Tylers' brave columns advanced on the right. 
 Like speed of the shaft,, as it parts from the bow. 
 So Tyler came down with his force on the foe. 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Now the white smoke of battle, rose in clouds from the 
 
 fight, 
 . liding cannons and horses and columns from sight, 
 And the blaze of the muskets was rapid and hot, 
 . i-nd the blood of our braves covered many a spot. 
 
 IX. 
 '':he Shells and the grape sang hoarse in the wood. 
 And tore up the ground where the brave warriors 
 
 stood ; 
 But the bullets and balls and the shells were their 
 
 scorn, 
 Proudly we sent them the same in return. 
 
 X. 
 The battle now raged in the heighth of its tide. 
 And fast grew the li.st of the soldiers that died, 
 And the roar of Daums' cannon was heard on the hill, 
 Mingled with the shrieks of men that were killed. 
 
 XL 
 The fight was now ^erce from the right to the left, 
 A.nd Jackson at last on the right threw his heft, 
 Vnd the balls from his muskets behind a stone wall, 
 ' 'ame down on the 7th like the falling of hail. 
 
 XII. 
 irave Col. Murry with the bold 84th, 
 :*ressed hard on the foe with his men of the North ; 
 vlurry soon fell by the ball of his foe. 
 And a braver man was never in battle laid low. 
 XIII. 
 
 3ut Creighton was there, and with firm fearle.ss word, 
 Vith an eye that flashed, and the wave of his sword, 
 ie held then bravely, as against fearful odds, 
 Vhile balls killed his men, and tore up the sods. 
 
 XIV. 
 And the groans of the wounded were loud in the wood 
 And the dying were gasping as they lay in their blood) 
 And the squadrons of cavalry were in haste rushing by, 
 All eager their sabres with blood to dye. 
 
 XV. 
 
 Night again came upon them, as to hide from the sight 
 The horrors and terrors of that desperate fight ; 
 ind the blaze of the musket in darkness was seen. 
 Is the parting balls travelled the armies between. 
 
 XVI. 
 
 The bright Sabbath sun sank low in the west, 
 
 O'er a field of fierce carnage its parting rays cast ; 
 
 Both armies were reluctant to give up the field, 
 
 But a charge from the Yankees caused the rebels to 
 
 
 
 '^^ 
 

 ,V^' 
 
X\ll. 
 
 Many scores of brave freemen were dead on tlie plain, 
 From whence they'll ne'er rise to do ti^ditino; ajj;ain ; 
 Tiieir names shall be cherished around the l)ri^ht 
 
 iiearth ; 
 In the land of their home, their choice and their birth. 
 
 XVIII 
 
 The sons of the West by their valor have proved 
 That our countrj' and freedom is sacredly loved ; 
 And the swift shafts of death they'll gallantly meet, 
 To hninble the traitoi's in shame at their feet. 
 
 XIX. 
 
 So Shields was victorious, the day he had won, 
 By the firm fearless bravery of each Northern son ; 
 Shenandoah, the valley, will ne'er be forgotten, 
 When the monuments of its heroes are crumbled and 
 rotten. 
 
 Capt. David l). Bard, d.eieui-ed, late of the 7th and 
 104th Regiments, O. Y. I., author of the poem entitled 
 "Battle of Winchester," was born at Cornwall, Litch 
 Held county, Connecticut, July 23d, 1841, was the great- 
 grandson of a patriot-soldier of the Revolution and was 
 the eldest son of the late Rev. Rodol])luis Bard, a Bap- 
 tist clergyman of Portatre county, Ohio. 
 
 Early in life Capt. Bard showed a fondness for books 
 and pursued his studies with an energy that gave him 
 great success as a teacher, for the short time in which 
 he was thus engaged. He completed his studies at 
 Hiram Institute, during the year 18()0, at which time 
 Hon. James A. Garfield was its honored President. 
 The Institute at that time numbered V)etween three 
 and four hundred students, many of whom were 
 preparing to teach. President Garlield's "lec- 
 tures on teaching," and other subjects, occupy a 
 large amount of space in the diary of Ca])t. Bard, and 
 the nu^iierous comments on his mode of teaching, made 
 in the diary, are highly complimentary to Hiram's 
 College President. 
 
 After Capt. Bard had successfully condui'ted a large 
 school at New Philadelphia, Ohio, during the Winter 
 and Spring of 1801, he returned to his home at the 
 commencement of the Rebellion, and on May ."Ist, 18G1, 
 was among the tir.st to volunteer as a boldier, and en- 
 tered the 7th Regiment, O. V. I., as a j)i-ivate of Co. F, 
 was promoted to Sergeant, and with his Regiment 
 fo. lowed its fortunes in Virginia, participating in all 
 of its battles and skirmishes, prominently among which 
 was the famous battle of Winchester, March 22d and 
 23d, 1862, in which battle he took a prominent part, 
 and ill which Stonew^all Jackson was defeated. 
 
 shortly after which Capt. Bard wrote the poem descrip- 
 tive of this battle. His diary contains an accurate and 
 vivid description of this and all other battles in which 
 he participatc-d, during u period of over four years. 
 
 On the first anniversary day of his enlistment, after 
 just one years service, he was "mustered out" on 
 "Surgeon's Certificate of disability" at "Circle Hospital," 
 Washington, D. C. Much as it was against his wishes, 
 it was deemed necessary in order to save his life. Un- 
 der skillful home treatment he speedily regained his 
 health and applied to Hon. E. M. Stanton, Secretary of 
 AVar, asking to have his discharge set aside. Finding 
 that under the rules this could not be done, he applied 
 to and received from Gov. David Todd, of Ohio, a First 
 Lieutenant's ('ommission on the anniversary of his 
 twenty-first Ijirthday. Having raised a comi)any, which 
 became a part of the newly organized l()4th Regiment, 
 0. V. I., at the time Capt. Bard took the field with his 
 new command, less than two months had elapsed since 
 his discharge from the 7th Ohio at "Circle Hospital," 
 Washington, D. C. 
 
 He was soon after commissioned as Captain of his 
 company, and with them followed the "fortunes of 
 war" through Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Alabama, 
 and back to Franklin, Tenn., at which place, in one of 
 the most terrific battles of the war, he was called uj)on 
 to lay down his young life, while in the performance of 
 his duties as A. A. A. General on the staff" of General 
 J. W. Reilly, of the 1st Brig., 3d Div., 23d A. C, under 
 Gen. Thomas. 
 
 His record as an officer and soldier I leave to the 
 official records at Washington, and to the brave men 
 who shared with him the dangers and privations of the 
 camp and field. 
 
 Thus ended the eventful life of n brave soldier, true 
 patriot and a faithful christian, at the early age of 
 twenty-three years. 
 
 In Memory of the author of this poem, to the rela- 
 tives and friends of his youth, to his highly respected 
 teacher at Hiram Institute, Hon. James A. Garfield, 
 from whose example and teachings he drew much of 
 the inspiration of his young life ; to the brave soldiers 
 and comrades who fell wounded and dying at the 
 battles of Winchester,Knoxville, Lookoutand Kennisaw 
 Mountain, Atlanta, Nashville and Franklin, and who 
 shared with him other battles and skirmishes ; and 
 finally to all officers and soldiers of the Union Army 
 who, like him, imperilled their lives in defense of our 
 common country in the suppression of rebellion, and 
 the establishment of the principles of freedom to all 
 men 
 
 THIS F01M IS BIDICATID, 
 
 • RODOLPHUS BARD, 
 
 August, 1880. Meadville, Pa. 
 
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
 015 785 462 8 
 
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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 
 
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 015 785 462 8 ^ 
 
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 Hollinger Corp. 
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