[Cover Page: "The Soldier Lay on the Tented Field"
(The Soldier's Dream)]
[Title Page:] "The Soldier's Dream" (1864)
Ballad
[Words -- anonymous?]
Music by H. S. Thompson

Boston, MA: Oliver Ditson & Co., 277 Washington St.
Plate No. 22327 [?]
[Source: 090/008@Levy]

1. The soldier lay on the tented field, 
Amid war’s stern array; 
And tho’ slumbers deep his eyelids seal’d, 
His heart was far away. 
A bove him hover’d a southern sky, 
Around lay threat’ning foes, 
And the battle hour was drawing nigh 
Yet calm was his repose. 

CHORUS 
[for Verses 1.­-3.] 
Oh! sound he sleeps on that distant southern strand, 
His heart was for from din od war, 
In his own dear native land.
[for Verse 4.] 
Now sound he sleeps on that distant southern shore, 
Where eglantine wave o’er his head, 
But he dreams of home no more.

2. He dream’d of his far off Northern hills, 
Their woods and sunny bow’rs, 
Where oft he  roam’d by murm’ring rills, 
In boyhood’s golden hours— 
He drank again from the moss grown well, 
Where flow’ring roses climb; 
He heard in his dream the old church bell, 
Ring out its mellow chime. 

3. He sat once more on the oaken seat, 
Before the school house door; 
In dreams he trod with his boyish feet 
Along the well worn floor— 
He stood again by his lov’d one’s side, 
Beneath the moon’s bright beam; 
And his heart beat high with joy and pride 
Alas! ’Twas but a dream!

4. He wak’d to the drum beat loud and high! 
The bugle’s wild alarms; 
He sprang to the fight to do or die, 
’Mid clang of clashing arms! 
And gallantly fought he long and well, 
’Mid cannon’s fi’ry breath; 
Where fiercest the fight he nobly fell, 
And clos’d his eyes in death.