~

Longstreet’s First Corps ran into action

marching toward Devil’s Den.

when Sickles vacated the Union protection,

Little Round Top, from all of his men,

Chamberlain saw it, and there he moved in

with troops of the 20th Maine.

 

Less than 400 spread out on top

single file in a line westward way.

On came the 15th of Alabama,

where fighting was fiercest that day.

 

Charge after charge, each were repulsed

by the men of the 20th Maine.

Now, out of ammo, the 15th was coming

and Chamberlain made it quite plain,

“Fix Bayonets!” They were advancing.

But the left side, like a door, would swing

around toward the 15th, like it was closing,

entrapping the 15th between.

 

The rout turned about.  The Rebels would run.

And victory fell on the men of the Maine.

Outnumbered, outgunned, Chamberlain won

on a feint that was deadly insane.

 

The Union surrounded by Longstreet and Hill,

and Ewell as well from behind,

in all of their charges day two resulted

by Meade and his men to repulse, deny

the Army of Northern Virginia’s

assaults on day two, the 2nd July.

 

The next day, third day, Lee throws in all,

“I will whip them here, or they will whip me.”

The next day, worst day, one more to fall

the Jefferson Davis Confederacy.

~

 

 

 

 

 

 

©2013, Marvin Loyd Welborn

28 July 2013

 

Poem’s Score: 2.9