The Last Berkshire Eleven Poem Rhyme Scheme

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'Twas at the disastrous battle of Maiwand in Afghanistan	A
Where the Berkshires were massacred to the last man	A
On the morning of July the th in the year eighteen eighty	B
Which I'm sorry to relate was a pitiful sight to see	B
	-
Ayoub Khan's army amounted to twelve thousand in all	C
And honestly speaking it wasn't very small	C
And by such a great force the Berkshires were killed to the last man	A
By a murderous rebel horde under the command of Ayoub Khan	D
	-
The British force amounted to about strong in all	C
But although their numbers were but few it didn't them appal	C
They were commanded by General Burrows a man of courage bold	E
But alas the British army was defeated be it told	E
	-
The th Berkshire Regiment stood as firm as a wall	C
Determined to conquer or die whatever would befall	C
But in the face of overwhelming odds and covered to the last	F
The broken and disordered Sepoys were flying fast	F
	-
Before the victorious Afghan soldiers whose cheers on the air arose	G
But the gallant band poured in deadly volleys on their foes	G
And outnumbered and surrounded they fell in sections like ripe grain	H
Still the heroes held their ground charging with might and main	H
	-
The British force alas were shut up like sheep in a pen	I
Owing to the bad position General Burrows had chosen for his men	I
But Colonel Galbraith with the Berkshires held the enemy at bay	J
And had the Sepoys been rallied the Afghans would not have won the day	J
	-
But on the Berkshires fell the brunt of the battle	C
For by the Afghan artillery they fell like slaughtered cattle	C
Yet the wild horsemen were met with ringing volleys of musketry	K
Which emptied many a saddle still the Afghans fought right manfully	C
	-
And on came the white cloud like a whirlwind	L
But the gallant Berkshires alas no help could find	M
While their blood flowed like water on every side around	N
And they fell in scores but the men rallied and held their ground	N
	-
The brave Berkshires under Colonel Galbraith stood firm in the centre there	K
Whilst the shouts of the wild Ghazis rent the air	K
But still the Berkshires held them at bay	J
At the charge of the bayonet without dismay	J
	-
Then the Ghazis with increased numbers made another desperate charge	O
On that red line of British bayonets which wasn't very large	O
And the wild horsemen were met again with ringing volleys of musketry	K
Which was most inspiring and frightful to see	C
	-
Then Ayoub concentrated his whole attack on the Berkshire Regiment	P
Which made them no doubt feel rather discontent	Q
And Jacob's Rifles and the Grenadiers were a confused and struggling mass	R
Oh heaven such a confused scene nothing could it surpass	R
	-
But the Berkshires stood firm replying to the fire of the musketry	K
While they were surrounded on all sides by masses of cavalry	K
Still that gallant band resolved to fight for their Queen and country	K
Their motto being death before dishonour rather than flee	K
	-
At last the gallant British soldiers made a grand stand	S
While most of the officers were killed fighting hand to hand	S
And at length the Sepoys fled from the enclosure panic stricken and irate	T
Alas leaving behind their European comrades to their fate	T
	-
The Berkshires were now reduced to little more than one hundred men	I
Who were huddled together like sheep in a pen	I
But they broke loose from the enclosure and back to back	U
Poured volley after volley in the midst of the enemy who weren't slack	U
	-
And one by one they fell still the men fought without dismay	J
And the regimental pet dog stuck to the heroes throughout the day	J
And their cartridge pouches were empty and of shot they were bereft	V
And eleven men most of them wounded were all that were left	V
	-
And they broke from the enclosure and followed by the little dog	W
And with excitement it was barking savagely and leaping like a frog	X
And from the field the last eleven refused to retire	K
And with fixed bayonets they charged on the enemy in that sea of fire	K
	-
Oh heaven it was a fearful scene the horrors of that day	J
When I think of so many innocent lives that were taken away	J
Alas the British force were massacred in cold blood	Y
And their blood ran like a little rivulet in full flood	Y
	-
And the Ghazis were afraid to encounter that gallant little band	S
At the charge of the bayonet Oh the scene was most grand	S
And the noble and heroic eleven fought on without dismay	J
Until the last man in the arms of death stiff and stark lay	J

William Topaz Mcgonagall

The Last Berkshire Eleven Poem Rhyme Scheme and Analysis

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