"The Voice of the Army" (30 Apr 1864)
[28169; No. 289;
Copyright Library May 5 1865; M 1640.C]
Poetry and Music by
James Gowdy Clark, 1830-1897,
Author or "Moonlight and Starlight,"
"The Voice of the Army,"
"Let Me Die With My Face to the Foe,"
"Beautiful Annie,"
"Children of the Battle Field" &c. &c.
and sung by him at his popular entertainments.

New York: Horace Waters, 481 Broadway
Boston: Oliver Ditson & Co.
Toledo, Ohio: W. W. Whitney
Plate No. 1055 
[Source: 1864-200000407@LoC/CWM]

1. From the West, where the rivers in majesty run, 
And the bold highlands catch the last kiss of the sun: 
From the East where the Gentile saw Bethlehem’s morn, 
From the South, where the beautiful summer is born; 
From the North, where the lakes are like mirrors unrolled. 
And the autumn woods frame them in purple and gold. 
We come in the name of the nation and God. 
To crush the last viper from Liberty’s sod.

CHORUS [sung after each verse]
We come, (we come,) we come, (we come,) we come (we come) 
to the fight, in our might, 
The winds that roll the thunder car, 
Above the stormy sea, 
’Mid lightning sabres gleaming far, 
Are not more bold than we, 
We come, we come, we come to the fight.

2. Stand out of our sunlight, beware of our wratch, 
Ye hounds that would rise on the fugitive’s path, 
Who over your country’s destruction would gloat, 
And treasure the knife that is aimed at her throat. 
Go, follow the chieftain who, yoked with the knave, 
Renounces a life with the noble and brave, 
And leaving the eagles of freedom, can take 
To the nest of the buzzard or den of the snake.

3. No more shall the North with a gag in her mouth,
Bow down to the serfbreeding lords of the South;
No more shall her children from mercy refrain
At the crack of their whip or the clank of their chain.
Our legions will face the red fires of death,
And like icicles melt in the cannon’s hot breath,
Ere they ask for repose that will tarnish their fame,
Or peace that is black with dishonor and shame.

4, Let their deeds by recounted with hate and disdain,
And their names only mentioned with Judas and Cain.
Who would stike down the truth that a race may be slaves,
Or sell it in secret to robbers and knaves;
And woe to the leaders, and woe to their tools,
When the land shall remember its traitors and fools,
When tyrants are writhing in dust and disgrace,
And the children of liberty reign in their place.

5, By the martyrs whose lives are the beacons of time,
Whose death made the cross and the scaffold sublime;
By the graves of our brothers, who fell as they fought
For the gift which the blood of our forefathers bought;
By the heavens, where the world of eternity rolls
O’ the armies of earth with its armies of souls
We swear that our homes shall behold us no more
Till the land is redeemed, or bedewed with our gore!