Charge Of The Fair Brigade

                                      

Half a leg, half a leg,

     Half a leg showing;

All in the valley of Smiles,

     Bloomers all blowing.

“Forward the Fair Brigade!

     Look at the girls,” we said,

As through the valley of Smiles,

     Rode the one hundred.

Forward the Fair Brigade,

Was there a man dismayed?

Not tho’ all of us thought

     Someone had blundered;

Theirs not to make reply,

Theirs not to wink and eye,

Theirs but to scoot or die, –

Through the valley of Smiles,

     Rode the one hundred.

Men to the right of them,

Men to the left of them,

Men all in front of them,

     Huddled and wondered;

Aimed at with Kodaks well,

Boldly they rode the spell,

Into a beach hotel

Out of the reach of – well –

     Rode the one hundred.

When can their glory fade?

O, the wild charge they made!

     All the men wondered;

Honor the charge they made,

Honor the Fair Brigade,

     Lovely one hundred.

June 25, 1895

Acc. by N.Y. Herald √

Pub. in B. Courier,

May 8, ‘98

(pic from: http://www.oldbike.eu/cyclecamera/?page_id=77)