CARMEN BELLICOSUM.
Reading edition
Guy Humphreys McMaster (1829-1887) is little known as an author, because his life was spent mainly among law books and in the atmosphere of the courts. After being graduated from Hamilton College, and while a law student, he composed the "Carmen Bellicosum." It has become a sort of classic, with its rumble and grumble which suggest the roll of drums and the mutter of distant cannon. It was contributed by McMaster to the Knickerbocker Magazine when he was only twenty years of age (1849), and it is this alone by which he will be remembered. Later in life he became a county judge and surrogate, and lost his youthful inspiration.
By GUY HUMPHREYS McMASTER.
In their ragged regimentals, Stood the old Continentals, Yielding not, While the grenadiers were lunging, And like hail fell the plunging Cannon-shot! When the files Of the isles, From the smoky night encampment, bore the banner of the rampant Unicorn; And grummer, grummer, grummer, rolled the roll of the drummer Through the morn! Then with eyes to the front all, And with guns horizontal, Stood our sires; While the balls whistled deadly, And in streams flashing redly Blazed the fires: As the roar On the shore Swept the strong battle-breakers o'er the green-sodded acres Of the plain; And louder, louder, louder, cracked the black gunpowder, Cracking amain! Now like smiths at their forges Worked the red St. George's Cannoneers, And the villainous saltpetre Rang a fierce discordant metre Round their ears As the swift Storm-drift, With hot sweeping anger, came the horseguards' clangor On our flanks, Then higher, higher, higher, burned the old-fashioned fire Through the ranks! Then the bare-headed colonel Galloped through the white infernal Powder-cloud; And his broad sword was swinging, And his brazen throat was ringing Trumpet-loud; Then the blue Bullets flew. And the trooper-jackets redden at the touch of the leaden Rifle-breath; And rounder, rounder, rounder, roared the iron six-pounder, Hurling death!