Sheridan's Ride

A poem by William F. Kirk

Ef yu ban vise, and ay s'pose yu ban,
Yu know 'bout Yeneral Sheridan;
But maybe yu ant remember the day
Ven he yump on horse, and den he say,
"Ay'm yust about tventy-sax miles avay."

Some rebel fallers ban start big row
In Vinchester. Ay ant know yust how,
But ay tenk dey yump on some Yankee guys,
And trying to give dem gude black eyes.
So Yeneral Sheridan hear dese guns,
And drank some coffee and eat some buns,
And tal dis har landlord, "Gude-by, Yack,
Ay skol paying my bill ven ay com back!"
Den he ride so fast that sune he say,
"Val, now ay ban saxteen miles avay!"

Dese cannons ban roaring gude and loud, -
It ban tough game for dis Yankee crowd;
And Lieut. Olson, he tal his pal,
"'Ay tank we ban due to run lak hal!"
So dey start to run, or else retreat, -
Dis ban noder name for gude cold feet;
And dey run so fast sum dey can go,
Lak Russians luring dese Yaps, yu know.
"Yee whiz!" say Sheridan. "Yump, old hoss!
Ay tenk my soldiers get double cross,
Ay s'pose yure hoofs getting purty sore,
But we only got 'bout sax miles more!"

Val, Yeneral Sheridan meet his men,
And he say: "It's now yust half-past ten.
Ay hope ay skol never go to heaven
Ef dese Rebel Svedes ant licked by eleven.
Yust turn round now in yure track!
Come on, yu fallers! Ve're going back!"
And yu bet yure life dey vent back, tu,
And put gude crimp in dis Rebel crew.
But soldiers ban careless sons of guns,
And the yeneral never settled for buns.

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