15 But only tenderest memories Of his own fair Arlington; With, perhaps, a grander vision Which, alas, was not to be, Of a new-born banner floating O'er a land redeemed and free. While thus the chieftain slumbered. Forgetful of his care, The hollow tramp of thousands Came sounding through the air: With ringing spur and sabre And trampling feet they come, Gay plume and rustling banner, And fife and trump and drum. But soon the foremost column Sees where, beneath the shade. In slumber calm as childhood, Their wearied chief is laid; And down the line a murmur From lip to lip there ran, Until the stilly whisper Had spread to rear and van; And o'er the host a silence As deep and sudden fell As though some mighty wizard And every soldier's tread Fell lightly as a mother's Round her baby's cradle-bed; And rank and file and column So softly on they swept He dashed down the line 'mid a storm of huzzas, And the wave of retreat checked its course there, because With foam and with dust the black charger was gray; By the flash of his eye and the red nostril's play Hurrah, hurrah, for Sheridan! By carrying Sheridan into the fight, From Winchester, twenty miles away!" 1865. THE HIGH TIDE AT GETTYSBURG (BY WILL HENRY THOMPSON) Reprinted from The Century Magazine, with the permission of the author The gathering battle's smoky shield: And through the cloud some horsemen dashed, Then at the brief command of Lee 5 IO The brave went down; without disgrace They fell who lifted up a hand And bade the sun in heaven to stand: They stood who saw the future come On through the fight's delirium: They smote and stood who held the hope Of nations on that slippery slope Amid the cheers of Christendom. God lives: He forged the iron will 1887. That clutched and held that trembling hill. Fold up the banners! Smelt the guns! Lamenting all her fallen sons. EDMUND CLARENCE STEDMAN HOW OLD BROWN TOOK HARPER'S FERRY John Brown in Kansas settled, like a steadfast Yankee farmer, Brave and godly, with four sons, all stalwart men of might. There he spoke aloud for Freedom, and the Border-strife grew warmer, Till the Rangers fired his dwelling, in his absence, in the night: Came homeward in the morning-to find his house burned down. Then he grasped his trusty rifle and boldly fought for Freedom, And he and his brave boys vowed-so might Heaven help and speed They would save those grand old prairies from the curse that blights the land: And Old Brown, Said, "Boys, the Lord will aid us!" and he shoved his ramrod down. And the Lord did aid these men, and they labored day and even, charmed, Till the Ruffians killed one son, in the blessed light of Heaven- Shed not a tear, but shut his teeth and frowned a terrible frown! Then they seized another brave boy-not amid the heat of battle, But in peace, behind his plow-share, and they loaded him with chains, ΙΟ 15 20 And with pikes, before their horses, even as they goad their cattle, Osawatomie Brown, Raised his right hand up to Heaven, calling Heaven's vengeance down. And he swore a fearful oath, by the name of the Almighty, He would hunt this ravening evil that had scathed and torn him so; He would seize it by the vitals; he would crush it day and night; he That Old Brown, Osawatomie Brown, Should be a name to swear by, in backwoods or in town! Then his beard became more grizzled, and his wild blue eye grew wilder, And more sharply curved his hawk's-nose, snuffing battle from afar; And he and the two boys left, though the Kansas strife waxed milder, 30 35 |