Daily American Telegraph

AMERICAN TELEGRAPH

WRITTEN FOR THE DAILY AMERICAN TELEGRAPH.

Fainting

Frank,

the

Volunteer!

BY A VOLUNTEER.

Tune—"Long Time Ago."

When he went forth to the battle;

Way down below,

And he heard the cannon rattle

In Mexico

His head grew sick—his heart grew faint—

Way down below;

And down into a ditch he went,

In Mexico,

His horse looked at him as he lay,

Way down below,

And thus right plainly seemed to say—

In Mexico—

"Why, Master Frank, what are you about

Way down below;

Don't you hear the battle shout

In Mexico!

"Come, get up out of that old mud,

Way down below;

And show off now your 'Hickory' blood,

In Mexico,

Sure, you're not frightened by that noise

Way down below;

Got up by them 'yaller boys'

In Mexico!

"Old Zack' has 'licked' them many a time,

Way down below;

When fresh and in their very prime,

In Mexico

And being 'licked' on every field

Way down below;

And ready quite to run or yield,

In Mexico—

They can again be 'licked' a handy,

Way down below,

As the boys lick sugar candy

In Mexico.

And, master, I isn't like one bit—

Way down below—

To see you fall before you're hit.

In Mexico.

"Then mount again, right on my back,

Way down below;

My motto 'Whip 'em,' yours 'Old Zack,'

In Mexico"

But there he lay, just like one dead,

Way down below;

Not heeding what his charger said,

In Mexico,

Until at length some soldiers near,

Way down below,

Espied their "gallant" brigadier,

In Mexico,

With pitying eye and heartfelt grief,

Way down below,

They rallied all to his relief,

In Mexico.

They took him from his lowly bed,

Way down below;

And washed his face and combed his head.

In Mexico.

Then softly laid him by to rest,

Way down below;

With none but mud stains on his breast,

In Mexico,

Secure there from the battle fray,

Way down below;

He "snoozed" the passing hours away

In Mexico.

But after a while, when all grew still,

Way down below:

And hushed, too, was the clarion shrill,

In Mexico;

He gently raised up "on his knees,"

Way down below,

To catch what lingered in the breeze,

In Mexico,

Then bounding up, with active spring,

Way down below,

Says he,

"I swow, I hate this thing

In Mexico,

Of "soldiering, and its alarms,

Way down below:

For me these paltry have no charms

In Mexico,

"I was a 'peace man' when I came,

Way down below;

And to this hour retain the same

In Mexico,

So good by all, a fond adieu,

Way down below:

I can no longer stay with you

In Mexico."

And thus, before the war was done,

Way down below,

He left us, every "mother's son,"

In Mexico.

And that was all that we did hear,

Way down below,

Of Fainting Frank, the volunteer,

In Mexico.