THE EAGLE'S REPLY—AN ALLEGORY.

AT THE BATTLE OF PEA RIDGE, ARK.,
MARCH 7TH, '62.

I'VE bathed my plumes in the golden rays
Of the day-god's morning beam,

And slept on the clouds as they idly lay
Like fairies in a dream.

I've screamed aloud with the tempest too
Since God first gave us light,

I've ever been to the brave and true
A talisman for right

I've sailed above in the ether blue,
When the world was calm below;
From mountain tops I've sipped the dew,
Or played with the glistening snow.
I've slowly sailed o'er the battle-field,
When the day of strife was o'er,
And saw on the dying soldier's shield,
The bird of their native shore.

But I've never placed my weary feet
'Neath the roof of a temple high,
Where traitor hearts each Sabbath meet,
And our banner does not fly.
I've never bent my back to hold

That sacred book of earth,

Where priests with sermons dark and cold,

Can never know its worth.

I claim no kin to the Alta's bird,
But hold it in disdain,

And ask the while if it ever heard
Columbia's melting strain.

And the Nation's flag shall ever wave
While I part the airs of heaven,
And I'll ever be to the loyal brave
Their emblem God has given.

ZORA.

THE LORD IS IN THE STRIFE.

CAPTURE OF FORT CLINCH, ST. MARY'S, FLA.,
MARCH 7TH, '62.

MINE eyes have seen the glory of

The coming of the Lord,

He is trampling out the vintage,

Where the grapes of wrath are stored;

And hath loosed the fearful lightning
Of his terrible swift sword.

I have see Him in the watch-fires
Of a hundred circling camps;
They have builded him an altar,
In the evening dews and damps;
I can read His righteous sentence
By the dim and flaring lamps.

ANONYMOUS.

DEATH OF HIS SON.

-SINKING OF THE U. S. FRIGATE CUMBERLAND,

AT

HAMPTON ROADS, VA.,

MARCH 8TH, '62.

AT anchor in Hampton Roads we lay,
On board of the Cumberland sloop-of-war;
And at times from the fortress across the bay
The alarum of drums swept past,

Or a bugle-blast

From the camp on shore.

Then far away to the South uprose

A little feather of snow-white smoke,

And we knew that the iron ship of our foes Was steadily steering its course

To try the force

Of our ribs of oak.

Down upon us heavily runs,

Silent and sullen, the floating fort;

Then comes a puff of smoke from her guns, And leaps the terrible death,

With fiery breath,

From each open port.

We are not idle, but send her straight
Defiance back in a full broadside!

As hail rebounds from a roof of slate,
Rebounds our heavier hail

From each iron scale

Of the monster's hide.

"Strike your flag!" the rebel cries,
In his arrogant old plantation strain.
"Never!" our gallant Hero replies;

"It is better to sink than to yield!"
And the whole air pealed

With the cheers of our men.

Then, like a kraken huge and black,

She crushed our ribs in her iron grasp! Down went the Cumberland all a wreck, With a sudden shudder of death, And the cannon's breath

For her dying gasp.

Next morn, as the sun rose over the bay,

Still floated our flag at the mainmast-head. Lord, how beautiful was that day!

Every waft of the air

Was a whisper of prayer,

Or a dirge for the dead.

Ho! brave hearts that went down in the seas!
Ye are at peace in the troubled stream.
Ho! brave land! with hearts like these,
Thy flag, that is rent in twain,
Shall be one again,

And without a seam!

W. HENRY LONGFELLOW.

THE MONITOR AND MERRIMAC.

NAVAL

ENGAGEMENT OFF NEWPORT NEWS, VA.,
MARCH 9TH, '62.

Он, comrades, come gather and join in my ditty,
It's of a terrible battle which happened of late,
Let each Union tar drop a sad tear of pity,
While I think on the once gallant Cumberland's fate,
On the 9th day of March told a terrible story,

And
many a brave tar to this world bid adieu,
Our flag it was wrapped in a mantle of glory
By the heroic deeds of the Cumberland's crew.

On that ill-fated day, about ten in the morning,
The sky it was cloudless, and bright shone the sun,
When the drums of the Cumberland sounded a warning
Which told every scaman to stand by his
gun;
Then an iron-clad frigate down on us came bearing,
And it high in the air the rebel flag flew,
The pennant of treason she proudly was wearing,
Determined to conquer the Cumberland's crew.

Up steps our bold captain with stern resolution,
Says, boys at this monster we'll ne'er be dismayed,
We swore to maintain our beloved Constitution,

And to fight for our country we are not afraid, We'll fight for the Union, for our cause it is glorious, To the Stars and the Stripes we'll ever prove true, We will sink at our quarters or conquer victorious, He was answered by cheers of the Cumberland crew.