Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1841-07-02
From Graham's Magazine.
THE LIFE GUARDSMAN.
ny JESSE f.. DOW.

Tho Life Guard Of Washington Who
can think upon this gallant band Of spirits,
withou, feeling glow Of patriotism warm
ing his heart, and stirring up tho sluggish,
feelings of his soul Fancy paints again
the figures which his history has suffered to
fade away, as the shadows departed from the
magic mirror OF Cornelius Agrippa: and the
heroes Of the past start "n hrfnrc us likn tho
clan of Roderck Dhu at the sound of their
chiet,ain's whistle. They come from Cam
bridge, and from the Hudson, from Trenton
and from Princeton, from Yorktown and
from the Brandywnc, and from mountain
pass, and woody vale, gathering in battle
array around the lowly bed of their sleeping
leader, amid the solitary shades OF Vernon.
The Life Culrdsmen are fast fading away.
One by one tie AGED members have departed
and now Lees corporal slnmbcrs beside his
commander. Their march Of life is over.
A more efficient corps never existed on
this side Of tho Atlantic than the Life Guard.
Animated by one motive, guided by one OBJ
jcct, they surrounded their commandments
chief, and gloricd in being known as his body
guard. Was there any difficult duty to per-
form! it fell to this body, and calamity
did they perform the service entrusted TO
them. The eye Of the General giistened
with delight as they filed before him in the
shade of evening, or returned into camp
from some successful incursion beyond the
onemy's lines, ere
"Jocund day stood tip,oe OH the mountain top"
or the reyeiNe aroused the army from their
slumbers.
1t was the anniversary Of tho baltic Of
Princeton, when an aged man, with strong
staff in his hand, was seen trudging manful.
ly down Broadway. AS he passed along
from square to square, he cast his eyes up
on the signs and door-platcs, and muttcrins
continued on his course
" Here" said he, " was Clinton's Quar-.
ters," " Edward Mallory, Silks and Laces'
and here was the House that Washington
stopped att" John knipherhausen, tobac'
conist,"-" and here was where the pretty
Quakeress lived, who used 10 furnish tn,
commandments with information, as Il
the encmy's movements" --all, all, arr
changcd-,ime has been busy with ever.
thing but the scasons-thcy are the same
the sun and the rain-,he evening and tn
morning--thc icicic and the dcw-drop-- tn
frost and the snow-drilt change not-bu
man and his habitaions--ayc, the YER
names of places aud people have been alter
ed, and the New York Of the Revolution !
not the New York Of 81"
As the old man said this he seated him
self upon marble doorstep, and wiped tn
perspiratOn from his brOw--ior he had walk
cd long way that morning, and the thou
sand association, that pressed upon his mem
DRY wearied him.
A company of volunteers, in all the pom,
and Circumstance OF city war, now appro;
cled by cross-stree,. The bugle's shr
note, mingled in with the clarioneti and Gym
bals-and the glance of the sun upon the
helmets, lit up the martial fire that slumbe
ed in the old mans soul. lie rose upon
feet.
"It is pleasant enough now to look up
such gatherings" said he, bu, those who ha
heard the drums beat to drown the cries
the wounded and the dying, cannot for,
their meaning, though youth and Joy accol
pany them, and though the smiles Of beau
urge them on" And the old man wept,
the men of other days stood about him-a
the battle felds, then silent and desert
teemed with the dead and dying--and I
blood formed in pools amid the trampl
grass, or trickled in little rills down the sn
ky hillside.
A servant now came out of neighbour
house and invited the old man in. lie than
fully accepted the hospitality Of the pol