231
The Last Fierce Charge
Belden BSM 383-7, who prints two texts of this ballad (from
Missouri), describes it as "patently 'literary' and widely known,"
but adds, "I have not been able to find its authorship, nor have I
seen it in print except as a collector's item." He cites texts from
Nova Scotia, Kentucky, Georgia, Texas, Minnesota, and Massa-
chusetts. Add Eddy BSO 301-4 (two texts, from Ohio), Ran-
dolph OFS II 297,
In a scrapbook apparently compiled by Phillips Barry and now
belonging to the Harvard Library appear four newspaper copies
of the ballad : ( i ) "The Last Fierce Charge, requested by G.E.S.,
North Berwick, Me." (2) "The Battle of Gettysburg by Virginia
F. Townsend," with a note in ink "Hearth and Home, Augusta,
Me., May '32. Southern version," (3) "The Battle of Gettysburg
(By Virginia F. Townsend)," with note in ink, "Have never
found two copies alike of this song." (4) "The Last Fierce Charge
of the French at Waterloo. Requested by M.E.R." No. i, stanza
16, has the line "Where the Rebels with shot and shell" (17
stanzas). No. 2 (in octaves) has, in stanza 7, the line "Where
the Yankees with shot and shell." No. 3 is the same as No. 2.
No. 4 (18 stanzas) is close to Nos. 2 and 3, but has some verbal
peculiarities. The line "Where the rebels' shot and shell" is in-
congruous with the title; and there is nothing in the text to con-
nect the story with Waterloo.
A
The Two Soldiers.' "Sent to C. Alphonso Smith by I. G. Greer, of
Boone, N. C., Aug. 6, 1913" Professor Smith gave this and other
songs to Professor Brown. This text shows a considerable number of
differences from both of Belden's, is in general more colloquial, and
more often misses the sense of what the original must have conveyed
(e.g., "fate," for "faith"? in stanza 3).
1 It was just before the last fierce charge,
Two soldiers drew their reins,
With a parting word and a touch of the hand —
They might never meet again.
2 One had blue eyes and curly hair,
Nineteen but a month ago;
There was red on his cheek, and down on his chin ;
He was only a lad, you know.
3 The other was a tall, dark man,
Whose fate in this world was dim,
But he only trusted the more on those
Who were all the world to him.
4 They had ridden together thru many a round,
And marched for many a mile,
540 NORTH CAROLINA FOLKLORE
But never before had they met their foe
With a calm and a helpless smile.
5 The first to speak was the tall, dark man,
Saying, 'Charlie, my time has come ;
We'll up yonder hill together.
But you'll come back alone.
6 'Will you promise a little trouble to take
For me when I am gone ?
I have a picture next to my heart,
With blue eyes and curly hair.
7 'As morning light she was to me.
For she gladdened a lonely life,
And little cared I for the thought of fate
When she promised to be my wife.
8 'Oh, Charlie, write to her tenderly.
Send her back this fair, fond face,
Tell her tenderly how I died
And where is my resting place.
9 'Tell her my soul shall wait for her
In a bordering land between,
In a space between heaven and earth,
And it won't be long, it seems.'
10 Tears dimmed the blue eyes of the boy;
His voice was low with pain.
'I'll do your bidding, comrade mine.
If I ride back again.
11 'But if you ride back and I am dead,
You must do as much for me.
My mother at home must hear the news ;
Write to her tenderly.
12 'One after another of those she loved,
She buried both father and son,
And I am the last of my country's call ;
She prayed and sent me on.
13 'She's praying at home like a waiting saint,
Her fair face wet with tears ;
Her heart will be broken when she hears I'm dead.
But I'll see her soon, I know.'
14 Just then the order came to march.
For an instant hand touched hand.
They answered, 'Aye' ; then on they rode,
That brave, devoted band.
NATIVE AMERICAN BALLADS 541
15 Right over the crest of the hill they dashed,
Where rebels with shot and shell
Poured earth of dust in their towering ranks,
And they charged them as they fell.
16 And of those that were left among the dead
Was the boy with the curly hair,
And the tall, dark man that rode by his side
Lay dead beside him there.
17 No one to tell the blue-eyed girl
The words her lover said ;
No one to tell the weeping mother
Her only son was dead.
18 They never will know the last fond thoughts
That were sought to soften a pain,
Until they cross the river of death
And stand by their sides again.
'Two Soldiers.' From W. Amos Abrams, of Boone ; without date ; with
note, "A Civil War ballad sung by my stepmother, who learned it about
1900." With slight verbal variations, consists of the following stanzas
of A: 1-3, 5-7, 11-18.
---------------
The Last Fierce Charge
'The Two Soldiers.' Sung by Dr. I. G. Greer. Recorded as MS score at Boone,
Watauga county, in 1915 or 1916. The variations given below are taken from
a second recording by Dr. W. A. Abrams ; the tune otherwise is the same. For
a similar text cf. BSO 304, No. 139B and OFS 11 297, No. 234. Another title
is 'That Last Fierce Fight.' The structure of the tune requires two of the
stanzas as given in II 539-41. 'T^r\£: C£, SdyC^rd -^7.
Scale: Hexatonic (3), plagal. Tonal Center: e. Structure: aai ba2 (4,4,4,4)
= Reprisenbar.
Two Soldiers.' Anonymous singer. Recorded at Boone, Watauga county,
about 1935 or 1936. The slight melodic differences are given above as variations.