THE RIGHT ARM OF GENERAL ROBERT E. LEE

He has fallen, he has fallen, he has fallen they say.
Fallen the great leader of the Stonewall Brigade.
Oh say it isn’t, oh say it isn’t, oh say it is not so!
Not felled by the enemy, but by one of our own!
By what strange circumstance did this calamity befall?
The day’s fighting was ended, they had sounded recall.

When General Lee had learned of his subordinate’s perilous condition,
For Jackson’s recovery, to his Maker, he made his entreating petition.
And to Jackson he sent his sincere salutation.
Each of them had suffered loss, but by Lee’s calculation,
The one who had lost most was most certainly he,
Lost was Jackson’s left, but he was the right arm of General Robert E. Lee

Through hell they’d have marched if he had but asked them to,
Now in stunned disbelief, the brigade cannot believe that his fighting is through.
For he’s crossed o’er the river to rest in the shade ‘neath the trees.
Gone is the right arm of General Robert E. Lee.

He would not know defeat when the Lord gave His call.
No yankee had toppled our beloved Stonewall.
They had feared, they had hated this great Christian warrior,
Never understanding ‘twas by faith that he battled with unswerving fervor.
He knew no harm could ever befall him without his Savior’s consent.
Thus in battle never wavering, as a babe in arms, he had stood quite content.
And his faith was rewarded, no yankee battle prize he,
When fell the right arm of General Robert E. Lee.

Now he’s traversed the river back to this small valley town;
Carried back to his beloved Lexington, he is now laid down.
And here he’ll rest in the shade ‘neath the trees
‘Til the Lord’s trumpet calls forth the right arm of General Robert E. Lee.

©Constance Lee Coffey Dorsey
1/8/2009

(my tribute to our unequaled generals)