See the red smoke hanging o'er us; Hear the cannon's booming chorus; Awake, awake, awake in Texas! See our steady columns forming; Hear the shouting--hear the storming, Awake, awake, awake in Texas! CHORUS. All the Northmen's forces coming; Hark! the distant rapid drumming: Awake, awake, awake in Texas! Prouder ranks than theirs were driven, When our Mexic ties were riven; Awake, awake, awake in Texas. CHORUS. Gird your loins, with sword and sabre; Give your lives to freedom's labor; Awake, awake, awake in Texas! What though ev'ry heart be sadden'd-- What though all the land be redden'd-- Awake, awake, awake in Texas! CHORUS. Shall this boasting, mad invader, Trample Texas and degrade her? Awake, awake, awake in Texas! By our fathers' proud example, Texas soil they shall not trample; Awake, awake, awake in Texas! CHORUS. Texans! meet them on the border; Charge them into wild disorder; Awake, awake, awake in Texas! Hew the vandals down before you, Till the last inch they restore you; Awake, awake, awake in Texas! CHORUS. Through the echoing hills resounding, Hear the Texan bugles sounding; Awake, awake, awake in Texas! Arouse from ev'ry hill and valley; List the bugle! Rally! rally! Awake, awake, awake in Texas! CHORUS. THE CAPTURE OF SEVENTEEN OF COMPANY H, FOURTH TEXAS CAVALRY. _Air--"Wake Snakes and Bite a Biskit."_ 'Twas early in the morning of eighteen sixty-three, We started out on picket, not knowing what we'd see; The bridge we knew was floating. If the Yankees should pursue, We knew we should be captured if running we'd not do. To stop and give them battle, we never tho't of it-- The shot at us did rattle, so we tho't we'd better "git," The captain tried to rally us, and so did brave young Linn; And Rader, too, with pistol drawn--Fenly next "put in." Rainbolt, too, with angry words attempts to stop our flight, They tell us yet to stop with them, and give the Yankees fight: They saw they could not stop us--to try it would be vain-- So their only chance of safety was to give their steeds the rein. Now this portion of my story will cause your hearts to bleed, It tells of those who halted while going at full speed. First came Billy Eddins, with musket shot in thigh, He was told by the Yankees, "surrender now or die!" Then came poor Johnny Burns, with sabre cut in head, And near by him, and wounded, stood the still unconquer'd Red; Then Oscar, and June Harris stood near in sore affright-- Then came the young De Marcus, in none the better plight.