Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1847-06-03
u
The Angels of Buena Vista.
rom the National Era.

Speak and tell us, Ximena, looking northward far
away
Der the camp of the invaders, DER the Mexican array
Who is losing who is winning? are they far, or come
they near?
Look abroad and tell u.s. sister, whittier rolls the storm
we hear.
"Down the hills of Angostura still the storm of battle
Blood is flowing, men are dying; God have mercy on
their souls"
Who is losing? who is winning p" Over hill and over
plain,
see but smoke of cannon coudng through the noun
tain rain"
Holy Mother keep our brothers Look, Ximena, look
once more;
"St see the fearful whirlwnd rolling darkly as be-
fore,
Bearing on in strange confusion, friend and foeman
foot and horse,
Like some wild and troubled torrent sweeping down
its mountain course"
Look forth once more, Ximena! All! the smoke has
rolled away;
And the Northern rifles cleaning down the ranks
of grey.
Hark that sudden blast of buges there the troop of
Mnon wheels;
There the Northern horses thunder with the cannon at
their heels"
"Jesu, pity how it thickens now retreat and now ad-
vance!
Right against the blazing cannon shivers Puebla's
charging lance!
Down they go, the brave young riders; horse and foot
together fall;
Like ploughshare in its fallow, through them ploughs
the Northern ball"
Nearer came the storm, and nearer rolling fast and
trightful on:
"Speak, Ximena, speak and tell U.S. who has lost and
who has won"
calais alas! know not friend and foe together fall,
Der the dying rush the living; pray my sister, for
them all !"
"Lo! the wind the smoke is lifting: Blessed Mother,
save my brain
can see the wounded crawling slowly out from heaps
of slain.
Now they sagger blind and bleeding; they fall,
and strive to rise;
Hasten sisters, haste and them, lest they die be-
fore our eyes,"
"Oh my hearts love oh my dear one lay thy poor
head on my knee:
Dost thou know the lips that kiss thee I? Canst thou
hear me, canst thou see?
Oh my husband brave and gentle oh my Bernal, look
once more
On the blessed Cross before thee Mercy mercy all
is o'er"
Dry thy tears, my poor Ximena lay thy dear one down
to rest;
Let his hands be meekly folded lay the Cross upon
his breast
Let his drge be sung hereafter and his funeral masses
said;
To-day thou poor bereayed one, the living ask thy aid
Close beside her, family moaning, fair and young, a
soldier lay,
Torn with shot and pierced with lances, bleeding slow
his life away;
But, as tenderly before him the lorn Ximena knet
She saw the Northern eagle shining on his pistol belt
With stifed cry of horror straight she turned away
her head;
With sad and bitter feeling looked she back upon
her dead
But she heard the youths low moaning and his strug-
Cling breath of pain,
And she raised the cooling wster to his parching lips
again.
Whispered low the dying soldier, pressed her hand,
and family smiled;
Was that plying face his mothers? did she watch be-
side her child?
All his stranger words with meaning her woman's
heart supplied
With her kiss upon his forehead, Mother" mumured
he, and died
"a bitter curse upon them, poor boy, who led thee
forth,
From some gentle, gad-eyed mother, weeping lonely
in the North"
Spake the mournful Mexc woman as she laid him witt
her dead,
And turned to soothe the living, and bind the wound
which bled.
Look forth once more, Xinena Like cloud befor
the wind
Rolls the battle down the mountains, leaving blood AM
death behind;
wounded strive;
Hide your faces, holy angels OH thou Christ of God
forgive"
Sink, oh Night, among thy mountains! let the COG
gray shadows fall;
Dying brothers, fighting demons-drop thy curtai
over all!
Through the thckening winter twilight, wide apart tn
battle rolled,
In its sheath the sabre rested, and the cannon's lip
grew cold.
But the noble Mexic women still their holy task pur
sued,
Through that long, dark night of sorrow, worn an
faint, and lacking foods
Over weak and suffering brothers with tender cal
they hung,
And the dying foeman blessed them in a strange an
Northern tongue.
N IL = Al