Baton-Rouge gazette. [volume] (Baton-Rouge, La.) 1819-1856, 1844-12-28
sause e t5e hiah coun above, The carlies,

pas iElHalNb ~ IHeSG HIufanima
|. s3idfef patriots we're hastily borne from II
ned OF their m7rtyrdom by their eogrowit
tFlefde, aud with no other shrond than ii
s cory garments h which they died, laid sjt
ny sltfe tnnne rude receptacle and tUs !,
: mented together BY their elotted lle.strean
as their hearts lad been by the canse
%bici they were poured ou', committed n
common gave. There, shoulder ii sl,Culde
as they had stood il battle, ttey slept ttndj
iuFbed throughthe lapse of3 score years. The
signed no more FIR liberty-no mo q HE
neard we clang Of arms or Tire gfgais If hi
lying brethren. They heard not She silot
OF freedom as it rent he air, nor the SOM
o. lhe sword being beaten into the plougf
snare, and The spear III The pruning. hook,
iheir beloved land. They saw lot tiow proud
" and how fondly Il vigorous young Amer
can Elgle was hanging 10 the blue ether dee
ABOVE thetr bed Of earth, with his warm plum
breast to thems his eye drinking AT Tie sur
and his Wings outspread to span the globe.
a lew years ago these remanins were OK
humed, ~ be, on The ~sixtietE anniyersart
OF the battle, enlotnbed with military Bonore
IN a vault-a new tomb prepared for them b,
The inhabfatis Of Lexington, beneath a mon
unent which marks the spot where thew fell
Iiiey were On b cred 10 oHe rich "a copbl
gus, Inscribed with all their names. and. TAX.
tlg a long l,ate tleiropen grlve borne . j
so'emn pomp from beside it in the cetneter,
TO the church hard by,with Columbia's star
spangled banner spread over them for The
urst-fhe last time, and there placed IN The
aisle, before a great cloud nj Witnesses rain.
ing tears at the affecting sigh.
Never before did mortal remains return
from The dark chambers of the dead into lie
light Of day With so truly pious and maenif.
cent q welcome, or TO occasion such atide Of
new ana powerful emotions as suddenly over.
wheimed every heart in that immense assem-.
Oly,on beholdlng these lugubrious evidences
come back, after sixty years repose, 10 attest
TO me longing, The signing. the burning desire
o. Tue spirits that once animated them for the
rights which they meyer obtained.
lfI y was not fnonrnlHg-it was not sor.
row, nor pain from sympathy with present or
recent suffering that melted The beholders.
Y was . mysterious, irresistible power, pene.
tratlng every breast with a deep, realizing.
sense never ielt before, Of tho prize Of peril.
agony aud life, at which the blessings Of free.
dom we're purchased by our fathers Tor our in.
ferttaiiee. IL was a feeling To which not 4
bosom ~ The ihrong had till that moment
kno"ned Itself susceptible. Fte occasion
vas unique in the worlds annals, and the e.
motions Y caused no less so. Tie effect If
these bUnorcd relies on thai grand BODY Of
people was wondrous, almost as that prodtlred
by the bones Of the Prophet Of Israel on the
body 81 lhe young man that touched them as
Y lowered INTO his sepulclre. They reani-
mated The material form, SO that il rose I'M
ana STOOD upon its feet. But these touched
me soul Of The beholder, infusing, asi Ii were,
q new NE and power of perception, and
bringing over it a solemnity insyiew of the
rights which our fathers sighed and toilsd for,
ana winch we may have but. too thoughtIcss.
y Ppssesood' Ilere seemed. throughout the
crowd, almost a general suspension of breath.
aS u tney nad simultaneously imagined the
ar winch we 80 freely breathe meted Quito
our ancestors by weight aud measure. The
presence OF these Wondering remains enkin.
died 10 The hearts Of the spectators a lively
towards those valiant men who a.
chleyed our independence, The more intensely
glowing, as IT nov seemed almost 100 late 10
6estow IT this side of the invisible world.
" must be directed, with scarce an earthly
medium, to hal ail-wise Being who has lak-
en- TO hllnsel i so many to whom IL was due
that OF all that noble army of patriot heroes,
see now ouly a thin and faded remnant
a few Whlte-baired, trembling, we nv pii-
CRIME, lingering here and there, feeble and
solitary, on the bleak shore of time, awaiting
ne barge that is TO convey them home.
"a small number Of these, and some who
had belonged TO the same compiny will, the
al en- inthe battle Of Lexington, were pres.
ent at the solemn celebrati0n-each bearing
IN MS breast a badge offhat company which
been so closely boun~dlogether by the one
great cause, when those bosOlng were warm.
I'd by the fire Of youth.
AS they tottered near, and their aged ewes
0okep dafklY on their brethren in t6e coffin.
hey remembered how they once-how they
asst had seen Them and contrasting that day
With this, aIrncss ready 10 cry with the voice
2 the valley Of vision-can these drV bones
ipeI-they IN spirit, turned away The sight
RON earth and ashes, blessing the promise
nj the author of a more glorious resurrec-
ion.
nc funeral Grafton pronounced over those
syered ftli 8 before that dign fed audienee,
vas by one wisely chosen and we'll qualified
an occasion SO great, 20 deeply interesting
nd affecting as no man ever addressed an
ssembly ON before, and none could ever a.
am. While every ear Of the vas multitude
ing on the eloquent lips Of Edward Ever.
u, and every heart felt itself melting at the
athletic story he was telling in his own pc.
ullar, thrilling accents, or 0 flarged ard ele /
ated by the heightened sentiments he was Ut. 1
so death-like was the Stiffness ofthe
ouse, you could almost hsarthe drop Of the
tear on his glitlering armor, M he liz
1npn andG.ionknA an1 brbaiJs ~. ~ n
ear him in 1.-THE aisle, realized that it was for
vain pageant or empty show that he and bis
omlPany were equipped in military array.
ne haif sti1ed sob of the statesman, too,
as detected through tue reigning stiffness
lsl OetFayed the bosonl t was shaking, while {.
g considered the sacredness of The charge
om'nlltea 70 MS trust-the great duties Of his
Nee and viewed himself as a high priest in
re temple OF our liberty, with the ark Of a ma
on's rights to protect from the touch Of pro-
lie or unclean hands.
But he orator had done. The diroe was
ing The benedictlon was pronounced. The
sopIe moved
s a rich, rare casket filed with gold 1
And pearls and precious stones,
hey took up the coffin dim and cold +,
WIN The soldiers names and bones. /
hen slowly forth to the battle. ground,
While every mouth was dumb.
hey moved to The mournful mnsic's sound
And tle beat Of the muf1ed drum.
hey reached the place for the honored deses
The proudesi and the best z
earth that had beentIieir lying bed, {
Prepared for their final rest. !
hose relics dark from the light they lowered,
Where the bleeding warriors fell.
NJ yoiieys three Ger the tomb they poured
Twas the soldiers long fareaell. :