A Poem from 1861: 'The Lancaster County Volunteers'

Tintype of Unidentified Union Soldiers (vws)

One of the minor joys of Civil War newspaper research is encountering amateur poetry, whose variance in quality results in some gems alongside some that make you scratch your head.  I've even run across some poems and modified song lyrics specific to the Lancaster County Regiment, surely the subject of a future post.  In today's post, I'll share a poem, "The Lancaster County Volunteers," which was written and published in October 1861.  Although not directly about the regiment, the timing makes a connection not unlikely, and the contents apply anyway.  We've already seen farmers like William T. Clark, skilled laborers from Lancaster City, three lawyers leading Company G, and a large number of teachers in Company E.  Although I haven't focused much yet on the shakeup of the party system, we've also seen soldiers capably and passionately articulate the cause for which they were fighting.

From the October 22, 1861, Daily Evening Express: