"But yesterday, in murderous fray,
While marching on to Richmond,
We parted here from comrades dear,
While marching on to Richmond;
With manly sighs and tearful eyes,
While marching on to Richmond,
We laid the braves in peaceful graves,
And started on to Richmond.
4.
"Our friends away are sad to-day,
Because we march to Richmond;
With loving fear they shrink to hear
About our march to Richmond;
The pen shall tell that they who fell
While marching on to Richmond,
Had hearts aglow and face to foe,
And died in sight of Richmond.
5.
"Our thoughts shall roam to scenes of home,
While marching on to Richmond;
The vacant chair that's waiting there,
While we march on to Richmond;
'Twill not be long till shout and song
We'll raise aloud in Richmond,
And war's rude blast will soon be past,
And we'll go home from Richmond."
This song-writer had brought a song to the great Springfield assembly. He sang it when the people were in a receptive mood. It voiced their hearts, and its influence was electric. As he rose before the assembly on that August day under the prairie sun, and sang: "Hark! hark! a signal-gun is heard," a stillness came over the great sea of the people. The figures of the first verse filled the imagination, but the chorus was like a bugle-call:
"THE SHIP OF STATE.
"(Sung at the Springfield Convention.)