Classic Poem

Our Companies B and C held
Near Juilly, in the curve
Where Marne's deep water parted Huns
From men who would not swerve
Though gas and shrapnel poured barrage
In hell-lit sheet of flame
To fall upon the " Fighting Tenth
Who " held on " and died game.

They held on in those trenches
Through showers of shot and shell
While mustard-gas was burning
Their bodies in that hell.
They donned their gas-masks bravely
And fought there four days — well,
Then " Devils Blue " and Twenty-eighths
Came rushing up pell-mell.

The Colonel on the hill-top,
That overlooked the sight,
Was filled with grief, though he was proud
Of his men in the fight;
By Monday night, we knew the worst —
Brave Companies B and C
Had sorely spent their life-blood
To free Democracy.

All honor to the buddy,
Who though he lost both feet,
Could still forget himself, to ask —
" The Hun — has he been beat?
The Sergeant, with flesh gaping,
No sooner dressed his wound,
Observed: — " I've ammunition, and
Must finish up my round. "

And Smith of Philadelphia
With not a hundred, then
Held back an entire regiment
Of tried machine-gun men;
And all his boys fought madly,
And used up every shot;
They gave up their lives gladly
To see the Huns get caught.

Ed Boyle of Beaver Falls, too.
The Captain of the Guns,
Was cited for his bravery,
And what he did to Huns.
The flower of Prussia's army
Fell down and bit the dust,
Their dream of world dominion —
Over! God is just!

From modest graves in Agnau,
Two names should stir the globe,
Houchard of Somerset, and
Brave Clawson of Latrobe!
They manned their guns alone, and
Piled high the German dead;
To die at last by our own shell —
Martyrs! For us they bled!

Facing the Marne, our heroes
Fell bravely in the fight;
Heaping German slain who
Had felt their brawn and might.
Under a giant oak-tree
Our boys lie side by side;
An honor to the Keystone State —
And God! With whom they bide!