Charge Of Fremont's Body-Guard

On they ride on they ride     Only three hundred,     Ride the brave Body-Guard,     From the "Prairie Scouts" sundered:     Two thousand riflemen,     Ambushed on either side,     The signal of slaughter bide:     Ho! has the farmer-guide     Led them astray and lied?     How can they pass the wood?     On they ride on they ride     Fearlessly, readily,     Silently, steadily     Ride the brave Body-Guard     Led by Zagonyi.     Up leap the Southrons there;     Loud breaks the battle-blare;     Now swings his hat in air;     Flashes his saber bare:     "Draw sabers; follow me!"     Shouts the brave Captain:     "Union and Liberty!"     Thunders the Captain.     Three hundred sabers flash;     Three hundred Guardsmen dash     On to the fierce attack;     Into the cul-de-sac     Plunge the Three Hundred.     Yell the mad ambushed pack     Two thousand rifles crack     At the Three Hundred.     Dire is the death they deal,     Gleams the steel volleys peal     Horses plunge riders reel;     Sabers and bayonets clash;     Guns in their faces flash;     Blue coats are spattered red     Fifty brave Guards are dead     Zagonyi is still ahead,     Swinging his hat in air,     Flashing his saber:     "Steady men; steady there;     Forward Battalion!"     On they plunge on they dash     Thro' the dread gantlet;     Death gurgles in the gash     Of furious-dealt saber-slash;     Over them the volleys crash     Thro' the trees like a whirlwind.     They pass through the fire of death;     Pant riders and steeds for breath;     "Halt!" cried the Captain     Then he looked up the hill;     There on the summit still     The "Third Company" paltered.     Right through the fire of hell,     Where fifty brave Guardsmen fell,     Zagonyi had ridden well;     Foley had faltered.     Flashed like a flame of fire     Flashed with a menace dire     Flashed with a yell of ire     The sword of the Captain.     Kennedy saw the flash,     And ordered the "Third" to dash     Gallantly forward:     "Come on, Boys, for Liberty!     Forward, and follow me!     Remember Kentucky!"     Into the hell they broke     Into the fire and smoke     Dealing swift saber-stroke     The gallant Kentuckians.     Horses plunge,     Riders lunge     Heavily forward;     Over the fallen they ride     Down to Zagonyi's side,     Mowing a swath of death     Either side, right and left     Piling the slaughtered!     Under the storm of lead,     Still hissing overhead,     They re-formed the battle-line;     Then the brave Captain said:     "Guardsmen: avenge our dead!     Charge!" Up the hill they go,     Right into the swarming foe!     Woe to the foemen woe!     See mad Zagonyi there;     Streams on the wind his hair,     Flashes his saber bare;     On they go on they go;     Volleys flash,     Sabers clash,     On they plunge, on they dash,     Following Zagonyi     Into the hell again.     Hand to hand fight and die     Infantry, cavalry;     Grappled and mixed they lie     Infantry, cavalry:     Hurra! the Rebels fly!     Bravo! Three Hundred!     "Forward and follow me!"     Shouted the Captain;     "Union and Liberty!"     All the Guards thundered.     With mad hearts and sabers stout     Into the Rebel-rout     Gallop the Guardsmen,     Thundering their cry again,     Cleaving their foes in twain,     Piling the heaps of slain     Sabered and sundered.     Three hundred foes they slayed,     Glorious the charge they made,     Victorious the charge they made     The gallant Three Hundred!     Let the Crown-Poet paid     Sing of the "Light Brigade"     And "The wild charge they made"     When "Some one had blundered;"     Following the British Bard,     I sing of the Body-Guard     The Heroes that fought so hard     Where nobody blundered.     Hail, brave Zagonyi hail!     All hail, the Body-Guard!     The glorious     The victorious     The invincible Three Hundred.